New Priorities
by Iwanita
Summary: Post ROTF. The decepticons are stranded in Earth. They lost the war. The Allspark was destroyed and the Fallen is gone. There is nothing left to fight for. What will be their next priority? Decepticon centered, appears an OC.
1. Fuel

**Summary:** Post ROTF. The Decepticons are stranded in Earth. They lost the war. The Allspark was destroyed and the Fallen is gone. There is nothing left to fight for. What will be their next priority?

**Disclaimer: **Transformers characters are © to Hasbro. The story is mine.

Hi everyone! Before reading this fanfic, you must know a couple of things:

This fanfic will be situated after the second movie. So, this could be labeled as a movie related AU. So, forget about the 3rd film. I will also be using movie references for the appearance of the bots (I loved the movie designs!)

Oh, and one last thing. English is not my mother language. I speak Spanish. But I am writing this in English because all the transformers related terminology sounds way better in English. So, this is hard. Be gentle if I make mistakes. Just tell me in the comments and I will fix them as soon as possible. You can tell me everything, from typos, grammatical errors to odd-looking expressions (by the way, I love reviews).

I think that's all. So, on with the show!

Key:

"Regular speech"

"**Cybertronian speech"**

::Comm. Link::

_/Recorded message/_

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 1: Fuel<span>

"Far be it from me to call you a coward, my Lord, but sometimes those who flee... survive to fight another day..." Starscream suggested and, without waiting for confirmation, he transformed into his jet mode, and discreetly took off.

Megatron snarled, clenching his fists in anger. He had been so close. And now he had lost again. He could not believe it. Reluctantly, he also transformed and announced retreat. He hated to admit it, but his Second in Command was right. A strategic retreat was in order.

* * *

><p><em>[Three months later.]<em>

Megatron stared absently at the control panels in the bridge of the Nemesis. Shockwave had brought the Decepticon warship from Cybertron two months ago. The plan was to use it in the last battle against the Autobots, but he had not arrived in time. The departure had been delayed due to the Autobot rebel forces left in their home planet. Megatron had wished to wait for the warship, but The Fallen had not listened. So confident in his own power. So confident in Optimus' death. So confident in the sun harvester.

All that confidence had been his undoing.

Now The Fallen, his mentor, was dead. Well, at least that came with some positive extras. He will not have to listen again to his maddening whispers and promises of power. His mind was again his own. He was again the maximum authority among the Decepticons. He was no longer dead, buried in sediment in that abyssal trench because his loyal servants had revived him using residual energy from the last fragment of the Allspark. And he was not going to waste this second chance.

He sighed, recalling the Allspark. The Autobots had been so stubborn about the Cube. In the end, they have preferred to launch it into the space, lost to the stars, before letting him put his servos on it. Even more, Optimus had preferred to destroy the Cube before surrendering it.

What an incompetent fool Optimus had been. Of course Megatron wanted power. But he was no stupid! With the destruction of the Allspark his home planet was now slowly dying, and they could not create new life. Yes, his race was capable of living many millions of years, but without a source of new life it was only a matter of time that his race extinguished.

"Blasted Autobots." He murmured to himself. But not low enough to be unheard.

Soundwave, the only other mech in the bridge at the time, paused briefly from his work and glanced at his Leader. Soundwave was Megatron's Third in Command and Communications Officer. Besides that, he was also a telepath. His sensors were so cunning and advanced that he could pick up the faintest changes in the superficial electrical currents in the processors of nearby mechs. He could _read minds_. A very useful skill at gathering information. But of course, he wouldn't dare reading the mind of his Leader.

"And basted humans." Megatron added a bit louder, now aware that his Third in Command was paying attention. "Especially that puny maggot, that... Sam Witwicky..." He almost choked on the hated name. "If I ever put my servos on him again I'm going to tear him apart, limb by limb." He hissed venomously. How could that inferior being be so persistent? He wondered.

Megatron expelled a gust of air through his vents, trying to cool down. He glanced at the firmament visible from the bridge's windows. The Nemesis was currently on the dark side of the Earth's moon, safely hidden from the Earth's telescopes and satellites. He frowned.

"Well, enough of licking our wounds!" He burst out, turning around. Soundwave stood to attention, slightly startled by his Leader's sudden change in mood. "Cybertron is dying and the Allspark is gone. What is our next priority?" It was a rhetorical question. He already knew very well.

Soundwave paused for a nanosecond, running different scenarios through his processors. Knowing his Leader, he was sure it could have something to do with revenge.

"Revenge: pointless. Allspark: lost." Soundwave stated, matter-of-factly, with his monotone voice. Of course he hated the Autobots too, but he was also a very logical and practical mech. He didn't wish to waste resources in a pointless fight. That was one of the reasons that his Leader liked to keep him around. His cool and logical processing helped to balance his Leader's anger.

"Tragically, I agree." Megatron nodded, suppressing a growl.

"Next priority: energon."

"Indeed." The Warlord tapped his chin-plates thoughtfully. "Until we wait for another opportunity to wipe out those despicable Autobots, we must think first of our survival."

Cybertronians consumed refined energon for nourishment. The refined energon was made from raw energon crystals, a rare mineral. A rare mineral that was not present in this solar system. But it was also possible to synthesize refined energon with energon generators. Everymech had them built-in, making them capable of subsisting on indigenous fuels. Even the Nemesis had some industrial-sized energon generators. The process, however, required an external source of energy to power up the generators. They were currently using the Earth's fossil fuels, but they were rather inefficient.

"The Autobots have their pesky human friends happily providing them with oil. We, instead, have to steal it from their refineries, and the security is better everyday. We are not easily killed, but every time Starscream and his trinemates come back from one of their fuel raids they have to spend one day in the med-bay. Not that I care much for my treacherous Second in Command, but he is more useful to me alive than dead, and I cannot afford losing more soldiers to our cause."

Soundwave pondered his Leader's words for a brief moment.

"Facts: human race is greedy. Their money accounts are easily hacked. Suggestion: trade request?"

"No, I will not lower myself. Besides, that could lead to an ambush." Megatron was now pacing slowly through the bridge, deep in thought.

"Energon generators work with electric current." The telepath pointed out.

"But it takes oil to move the electric current generators."

"Lord Megatron's assumption: incorrect."

The Warlord stared at his Third in Command. Soundwave typed something quickly in his terminal, and the main monitor came to life, showing diverse information. Megatron studied it for some minutes.

"So, these 'renewable sources' could be used to produce electric current, and then use it to power the energon generators? Why didn't we have anything like that on Cybertron?"

"Cybertron's winds: negligible. Cybertron's sun: small, not efficient."

Megatron pondered all the new information quietly, tapping his chin-plates in a thoughtful gesture. Their energy-converting technology was superior, but they knew nothing about the behaviour of the Earth's sun, the dynamics of its climate or its organisms. And that was the first essential stage of the process of converting a renewable source of power into electric current.

"We need a human." Megatron concluded suddenly.

Soundwave abruptly stopped typing. He double checked his audio receivers, but they were working with optimal efficiency.

"The Autobots live among those meat bags everyday and don't get rusted. I think we can afford having one little... 'slave', to do our dirty job. And when the job is finished, we can simply dispose of it. One single fleshling will not arise many suspicions." Megatron chuckled darkly. This could be fun.

Soundwave nodded. It could work.

"Look for a safe place to land the Nemesis and keep it discretely hidden. Then search for a worthy candidate for our... _little job._"

"Yes, Lord Megatron."


	2. Job offer

Chapter 2: Job offer

Eleonor yawned and glanced sleepily through the train's windows. The past few weeks had been hell. Three conferences in new technology fairs, several job interviews, a lot of travelling,... but not a single serious job offer!

She scowled at the landscape. What was the Government doing? They needed to spend more money in Research and Development! At this rate, Spain was going to be stuck in the Stone Age forever! Her ideas were good, she had been testing with good results. She only needed an initial money infusion from grant or a private company, she did not care which at that point. She was about to beg for it.

But then, the unexpected had happened. A letter had arrived. From a newly established energy company. In Norway! They were very interested in her ideas, and have included train tickets for Denmark in case she accepted the offer. There, a private plane in a private airport was arranged to take her to Oslo. It had to be a very important company, to treat their new employees that way. She smiled slightly, wondering what was waiting for her in the near future.

The train was about to arrive.

Ten minutes later, Eleonor exited the train station and took a taxi. She couldn't speak Danish, but she had a small paper note indicating what she thought it had to be the private airport. The driver studied the piece of paper for a second, and nodded with a smile, understanding that his passenger did not speak his language.

It was a long trip to the outskirts of the city. The sky was getting dark and the first stars were visible. Finally they arrived to what looked like an old hangar. She paid the driver. It was no small amount money, but at least the train and plane tickets had been paid for previously. The taxi left.

Eleonor glanced at her surroundings. No one in sight. Well, that was startling. She adjusted the strap of her purse, and picked her small travelling bag with the essentials. Then, she headed for the hangar, looking for the entrance, that was at the opposite side. The big sliding door was open. She carefully peeked through the door...

… And nearly dropped his bag in surprise.

She didn't know too much about planes, but she was sure that in front of her was now a military fighter jet. She looked around. There was nothing more inside the hangar. Carefully, she approached and stared in awe at the huge flying machine.

"The taxi driver must have taken me to the wrong place." She thought, still looking at the military plane. Well, now that she looked closer, maybe it was no longer a military jet. It could be a museum piece. The painting seemed custom, it was black with matt finish, with a thin dark purple line on the edge of the wings. On one of the flanks, was printed a symbol, also in dark purple. It looked like some kind of shield or mask.

"Wait a second." She murmured to herself, reaching to her purse and extracting the job offer documents. The same purple logo was printed on them too. She was at the right place. Was she late? Was she early? She wondered.

"Hello madam."

Eleonor gasped in surprise and nearly choked. She looked behind her. Standing there was now a young man wearing an unmistakable pilot suit, also black, adorned with purple lines.

"S-sorry, I... I didn't hear you coming. You nearly gave me a heart attack." She tried to compose herself and smiled weakly.

"I am sorry, my mistake." The young pilot apologized, but he was grinning devilishly, letting Eleonor know that he had done it on purpose. "Are you Miss Eleonor Guerrero Mendoza?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Yes, I am."

"Excellent!" He cheered. "We were waiting for you!"

"Oh. Am I late? I am very sorry, this is my first time here, and the taxi took long..."

"Don't worry, you are just in time." The young pilot said with a wink that unsettled her. "Could you please get in the cabin?"

"Of course... but.. how do I climb in?" Eleonor stared at the jet with a bit of fear. At that moment, the plane extended a small step-ladder from one of its flanks. "Oh."

The young pilot easily climbed and took seat.

"Come on, it doesn't bite!" He encouraged her with a mischievous grin.

"Y-yes..." Eleonor approached and climbed slowly. After taking the copilot's seat she started to adjust the seat-belt, her hands shaking slightly.

"Are you alright?" He looked back at her, with the faintest glint of concern.

"It's... just..." She sighed and tried to calm herself. "It's the first time mount into a plane... I just didn't expect my first flight to be on a fighter jet... I've heard they are very fast." She could not suppress her nervousness anymore.

"Oh, you are a flight-virgin, how sweet!" The young pilot chuckled. "Don't worry, it will be a short flight." He winked again, and the jet's thrusters came to life. Ok, now he was starting to creep her out. "By the way, they call me Skywarp."

"Oh. What a curious nickname. Why do they call you that?" She asked innocently, trying to think of anything but the flight or the intriguing comments of the pilot.

"Because of _this_!"

Suddenly, all turned searing white, and all that could be heard was a deafening crackling sound as the air surrounding them seemed to ignite. Her vision blurred and she started to feel dizzy.

The second thing she was aware of, was that the gravity orientation was changing alarmingly. Her vision cleared slowly, only to find herself in a jet that was nosediving at high speed towards the ocean.

"Aaahhhh!" She screamed, digging her nails into the seat. "We are going to die!"

The young pilot started to laugh in delight. Then, he did a barrel roll and pulled up the jet just in time, the higher waves splashing the underside of the wings slightly. Some seconds later, they were tracing wide slow circles over the sea.

Eleonor felt like she was about to faint at any moment. Her mouth was dry, her heart pounding hard in her chest. She glanced through the cockpit. The only thing in sight was the sea. In every direction. And the blue sky, with the sun shining very high...

"Wait... what...? Where are we? It was almost night just two minutes ago!" She asked, after a couple of failed attempts at finding her voice.

"Yes, it was almost night just two minutes ago... _in Denmark_!" He replied cheerily.

"We are not in Denmark anymore?"

"No! Isn't it great?"

"But... how...?" She recalled the few past events. Was this some kind of trick? She tried to focus and analyze the situation. The sky was not an easy thing to imitate. She tentatively touched the glass of the cockpit. It was certainly not a screen. This was not possible... unless time had passed. Had she fainted? She reached for her purse, and extracted her smartphone.

"21:07!" She murmured in disbelief. But the sun high in the sky looked like in midday.

"Don't freak out yet!" The pilot turned over his shoulder to glance at her. What was going on with this guy? Was he always so cheerful in life-threatening situations?

"Did we just... _teleport_?!" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper, hands shaking.

"Yeah, and this is only the first one of loooong list of shocking news for you. So, keep calm, take a deep breath, and try not to faint." He replied reassuringly.

"I'll try my best..." Eleonor was starting to regret opening that mail with the job offer. What kind of mess had she gotten herself into? Things only seemed to get weirder with every passing minute, like in some kind of bad science-fiction movie.

"Ok, remember, don't freak out."

She nodded and steeled herself for more unsettling news.

"This is not my real body." He said sheepisly.

"...What do you mean...?" The young woman stared in disbelief.

"This is a _hologram_."

Eleonor blinked and looked closer at the young pilot. He seemed definitively real to her. She reached out a hand to touch his shoulder... and just grabbed air. She gasped. Her brain decided to stop working for a few seconds, refusing to acknowledge the new information. Then, the pilot-hologram flickered a couple of times and disappeared. Her mouth dropped.

"...So... who is driving...?" She asked with a tiny voice.

"Myself." Replied the same voice. But now, it seemed to come from nowhere in particular inside the cabin.

"You... are a _talking plane_?"

"Hmmm, not exactly. You will be debriefed shortly." He said simply. "Oh, look there! We can land now!"

Eleonor peeked through the glass. Where there was only water moments ago, now a huge structure had emerged from the seas, with a landing platform and an big entrance. But the most intriguing thing was that there was _more_ underwater. If this was some kind of submarine, it was massive, its whole shape slightly recognizable through the clean waters.

The jet descended and prepared to land.


	3. Nemesis

Chapter 3: Nemesis

The jet hovered over the landing platform and landed vertically. The cockpit opened and produced the previous step-ladder. The seat-belt unbuckled itself. Eleonor took that as an invitation to get out, and she complied. Grabbing her small travelling-bag, she climbed down.

She felt a little nauseous, but was glad to be out of the strange talking jet. She felt her legs tremble.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"I'm afraid that information is... _classified._"

"Oh..." She dropped her shoulders in disappointment. "Classified my ass." She thought for herself and quickly turned her head to take in the surroundings. She looked to the sky and then to the deck below her, to her shadow, and started to make mental calculations.

"Well, we have arrived." The jet stated, matter-of-factly. "Could you take a couple of steps back, please?" She obeyed. "Well..." He paused for dramatic effect. "…now take a deep breath and promise me not to faint."

"I'll try." She nodded insecurely, holding tightly her travelling-bag.

Then, the jet seemed to break apart, the plates unhooking themselves and shifting positions, revealing the inner gears, pistons and cables, rearranging in new places with a soft sound of machinery working. Like a choreography, with precise and fluid motions a new shape began to take form where the plane had previously been.

A few seconds later, a giant robot that vaguely resembled the military jet was standing in front of her, his shape more or less triangular, his legs like a raptor's leg, with sharp claws. He was the same color as the jet, mostly matte black with a thin purple line across his wings.

"Ahh, this feels good!" He commented, stretching his limbs and the wings on his back. Then, he glanced down at her with gleaming red optics. "Are you alright, little lady?"

"I... I... am trying not to faint... very hard..."

The robot crouched in front of her.

"Eeep! I'm not going to faint, I'm not going to faint, I'm not going to faint!" She repeated her mantra, pulling her arms protectively over her head and dropping the bag.

Skywarp chuckled in amusement. Eleonor risked a glance back at him hearing the robot laughing at her. She felt a glimmer of indignation, but didn't dare to move.

"You little humans are so easily scared! It's so funny!" He clarified.

Yeah, as if a plane that turned into a giant robot wasn't enough excuse to run away screaming in fear. She looked around for a place to run and hide. The deck was big, but offered no place to hide, and beyond the deck was only open ocean. She bitterly realized that there was nowhere she could go.

"Well... I guess that if you wanted to hurt me, you wouldn't have taken the trouble of teleporting us here, isn't it?" She asked, trying to remain calm, although she could still feel the adrenaline in her veins screaming 'run and hide'.

"Good reasoning." The robot nodded.

"What do you want from me?" She asked tentatively, trying very hard to reign her fear.

"Me? Nothing. But my boss does. My mission was only to bring you here."

"Alright... Then I guess there is no going back now. Am I right?"

He nodded grimly.

She glanced around her once more before sighing in resignation. No going back. No place to run. Nowhere to hide.

"You win." She gave up. "I'll follow you."

Skywarp stood up and made his way to the deck's door. Eleonor picked her bag and struggled to keep up with the giant robot's long strides as they entered the ship. He guided her through wide halls and corridors, clearly designed for beings like him.

"Are there more... err... 'beings' like you here?" She asked curious.

"Yes, but they must be in their quarters or the main recreational hall. These corridors leading to the control bridge are not usually very popular. Only the higher ranks are here frequently."

The words 'control bridge' echoed in her mind. Was this some kind of ship?

They stopped in front of a huge entrance. Skywarp pinged the door and it opened itself revealing the control bridge of the ship. Eleonor stared in awe at the enormous controls and monitors that were displaying things in a language she didn't recognise and definitely, wasn't from Earth.

Two more giant robots were there. One, dark blue and metallic silver, was on one side, typing something on a terminal. He stopped his work and stared at them as they entered. He had some kind of mask covering the part of his face where his 'mouth' should have been and his optics were hidden behind a red visor. She looked back at Skywarp. The jet's face had more human features, making it possible for him to form expressions. In contrast, the face of the dark blue mech was totally unreadable. It gave her creeps.

The other mech had his back turned, and appeared to be inspecting the main monitors. He was metallic grey, and slightly bigger and bulkier than the other ones present, if that was possible.

"Skywarp: report." The dark blue mech demanded. Eleonor was surprised by the flatness of his tone. His voice, like his face, showed no emotions at all.

"Mission accomplished." The black mech answered casually. "No witnesses, no drama, no shooting at poor Skywarp." He continued theatrically. "You know, I enjoy fighting, but going into a mission that doesn't involve risking my aft-plates once a while is nice!"

Eleonor looked at the jet in disbelief. Did he just say 'fighting'? Against who?

"Noted." The emotionless blue mech replied.

"And she is so easy to scare! It's sooo funny! Please, Lord Megatron, if you don't want her, can I keep her as a pet? Pleaseee?" The young woman started to feel uneasy. Very uneasy.

"Skywarp: desist." The blue mech said, trying to discourage the jet.

"But-" He whined, but was cut mid-sentence.

"Skywarp, dismissed." The grey mech said suddenly from the end of the bridge. He had just finished his business with the control panels and turned to face them. His voice was deep and authoritarian, his tone indicating that his decisions could not be questioned.

The black jet changed his manners immediately at the direct command of his Leader.

"Yes, Lord Megatron." Skywarp saluted and exited the bridge without further complaints., the big door closing behind him with an ominous swoosh.

Eleonor was left in company of the other two mechs, who were staring intensely at her. She gulped and wished she could shrink and disappear at that very moment.

Megatron trained his optics on her, pondering his first words. He didn't show a glint of it, but he was impressed by how Skywarp had accomplished his mission. The Decepticon Leader had expected to be brought an unconscious victim in the best case, or a screaming and scared to death human in the worst case. But the young woman had entered the room willingly, on her own foot, walking by the black mech. Sure thing she looked a little uneasy, but she wasn't running hysterically around the bridge. She just stood there, on the same spot, waiting for something to happen. Soundwave had been correct about assigning the black jet this mission. Skywarp was deadly on the battlefield, but when he wasn't in killer-mode he was the most easy-going Decepticon. Sometimes he could be a pain in the aft too, because he enjoyed too much pulling pranks among the troops, but the rest of the time, he was just a little eccentric.

"Come closer, human." He commanded, reveling in the way he towered over the inferior being, a feeling of superiority invading him.

The voice of the grey mech send shivers down Eleonor's spine, but after having seen the change in manners in the jovial Skywarp at that mech's command, something told her that it was better not to upset him. She walked towards him warily.

"I am Lord High Protector Megatron, Leader of the Decepticon Army." He paused and let that sink in. "You will refer to me as Lord Megatron, and you will not speak unless told so. Understood?"

She nodded quickly, suppressing a shiver. Where had she gotten herself into?

"Good." He smirked mischievously. "I have brought you here because, as much as I hate to admit it, I need a human to help us with a _little project._" She nodded again.

"That mech over there is Soundwave..." Megatron made a gesture towards the silent blue mech at the terminals on one side of the room. "... He is my Third in Command and Communications Specialist, and I assure you, he is the most efficient mech at gathering information. Four days ago, when he was looking for the best candidate to help us in our project, your name showed up. In many databases. In many different companies. Most of them were related to big oil industries. It seems that you are getting famous." He paused again. "Have you had many job offers recently?"

Eleonor was frozen in place, her mind racing about the implications of the information revealed.

"No."

"Well, apparently, there is people that believe that your area of expertise could pose a menace to their business." He stated, revelling in every word and enjoying the sincere hurt in her expression as realization hit her. "Does this information surprise you?"

"...No." She clenched his fists tightly. "It was to be expected. I am not the first, and will not be the last victim of this kind of abuse. Most modern human societies work like that... Powerful people always make everything go their way, and ruin those who try to prove them wrong. It's disgusting." She said bitterly, looking away.

Megatron smirked in delight. This was going to be so easy. He didn't even have to lie. He just needed to reveal this woman the hidden truth and boycotts surrounding her and she will be on his side, willingly working for his cause.

"I think the human term was... 'the big fish eats the smaller'."

She nodded grimly.

"Oh, but there are even _bigger fishes_ in the seas now..." He said with complicity.

She looked back at him questioningly.

"Soundwave, come here." Megatron ordered. "And pick up the girl and put her on the desk near the main screen."

The blue mech obeyed and approached Eleonor. He crouched and reached his huge metal hand. She flinched and braced herself. But Soundwave didn't pick her up. He just lowered his hand to her level and offered it, with the open palm up.

Eleonor was infinitely grateful that the blue mech had not obeyed literally to his Leader. She didn't want to be manhandled like a rag doll. She quickly took seat in his hand, her legs dangling, afraid that if she was too slow he could change his mind and grab her. Carefully, Soundwave put her on the desk, in front of the Decepticon Lord.

"Do you know _what_ are we?" Megatron asked, narrowing his optics.

"... Aliens." She replied, feeling the word odd coming from such a skeptical woman like her.

"I know Skywarp was under strict orders of not telling you some bits of data. How are you so sure about this?"

"I am pretty sure that teleportation technology does not exist on Earth. Then, your robotic bodies are like nothing from here, and if you were a human invention you would be probably being used in warfare. But the last piece of the puzzle that made up my mind was that." She pointed the nearest monitor. "That... _glyphs_... are clearly written language, and there is not any language with those symbols on this planet."

Megatron nodded in approval. "We are sentient robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron." The monitor next to her showed images of their home planet. Eleonor stared in awe at the planet that seemed made of metal too. "You could call us 'Cybertronians'. There are two factions, we the Decepticons, and our sworn enemies, the Autobots."

He paused to let the information sink in, while the young woman looked with interest at the screen, now showing the Autobot and Decepticon insignias. She recognized the purple Decepticon insignia, it was the same printed on Skywarp and the 'job offer'. Megatron and Soundwave also had them on their chest plates.

"To summarize it, our war ended here on your planet, with the Autobots destroying a powerful device called the Allspark." The monitor was showing now images of the Cube. "The Allspark's powers were near endless. Among many other things, it brought life to our world. Now, without it, our planet is slowly dying."

Eleonor turned to stare at them, a look of sincere concern in her face. Megatron smirked inwardly. He was playing the victim role to perfection.

"Now we are 'planetary refugees'. We can't go back to Cybertron." He paused. "And it seems that the Autobots have been permitted to inhabit your planet, forging an alliance with one of your countries, helping them with military power. I think that the country's name was 'the United States'."

"How very typical of them." She thought bitterly.

"And they have banned us from Earth. That's the reason why we are hiding the _Nemesis_, our spaceship, underwater. And that's is also why most of my soldiers openly hate your kind. So I strongly recommend you not to walk alone in here."

She nodded quickly, not wanting to be squished in the best of cases.

"Now, getting to the point. Here in your planet we neither have natural 'energon', our only source of nourishment." He paused for dramatic effect. "Fortunately, energon can also be _synthesized_. But we need a source of electric current to do so."

Eleonor's eyes went wide in realization.

"I see that you now know why we have summoned you here. Soundwave found out that you have extensive knowledge in alternative sources of energy, and that your designs are very efficient. I sincerely think that your 'big fishes' are very unwise to underestimate you and waste your talent." He smirked casually. "So, what do you say? Do you still want to try out your concepts?"

She stood in silence for some seconds, pondering everything said.

"I want to help you." She finally said and frowned, her face set with determination, looking back at the Decepticon Leader in his fierce red optics. "Tell me what I must do."

"I am very glad to hear that." Megatron smirked in delight. Such a naive little creature, and so eager to work.

"I understand that you humans have some basic necessities that differ from ours. Soundwave has prepared a room for you to live while you are here with us. I think it has the essentials to start. You will go now and get yourself installed. Then make a list with everything else you may need for a month. Everything from food to clothes, we will get you new supplies monthly. Tomorrow morning you will have them here. This afternoon you will go to the laboratory. See what we have there, and then make another list with everything else you may need to accomplish your project. The next day you can start working."

"Understood." She nodded.

"You are dismissed. Soundwave will accompany you to your quarters now."

The blue mech offered his hand again, and Eleonor took seat on it, warily, but with more confidence. They exited the bridge, and the Decepticon Leader was left alone as the door closed behind them.

He chuckled softly, remembering all the tiny bits of information he had deliberately left out in his story. All the human deaths and a failed attempt to extinguish their Sun.

"How naive..."


	4. Supplies

Chapter 4: Supplies

Soundwave and Eleonor made their way to her assigned quarters quietly. The only sound that could be heard were the blue mech's footsteps. She felt a little awkward in presence of the silent alien robot.

"Thank you... er... Mister... Soundwave, Sir." Megatron had insisted to her in calling him 'Lord Megatron'. If Soundwave was his Third in Command, maybe she should address him too with proper respect. But she wasn't very sure of what to call him.

The blue mech stared at her, his expression unreadable behind his mask and visor.

"You didn't grab me before, I was scared of being picked up... But you just offered your hand, and you didn't have to... and I wanted to thank you for that." She said softly, a little embarrassed.

"Appreciation: noted." He replied simply.

They arrived to the door leading to Eleonor's designated quarters. Soundwave pinged the door, and it opened itself. Lowering his hand, he let the young woman down.

He glanced back at her briefly.

"Report time: in three hours." He announced and exited the room.

Eleonor reached for her smartphone. No signal. The time was not right according to the new time-zone, but at least she could measure the passing time. Maybe she could ask the correct time later.

She sighed and let herself drop to the floor. She had been hiding it, but her legs were shaking badly. Now that she had time to think alone for a while she let the memory of the last events reach her. It had been the oddest day in her life without doubt, and all had happened so fast...

"This is madness." She thought. Of course she was going to help Megatron. What other options did she have? It was not like they were going to let her go after revealing her all that sensitive information. She was not stupid. She knew that her only chance of living longer was to cooperate and try to be useful.

The way Skywarp had submitted at one command of his Leader... One could not simply achieve that kind of respect being nice and dandy. Megatron was a tyrant, and his soldiers feared him, she was sure of that.

"I have seen enough movies to know how this ends: when the new energon generator is ready, I'm going to be volatilized, or worst." She thought bitterly. Until that, she needed play nice and be useful while plotting a plan to escape.

She sighed again, slowly. Her mind was a battleground. On one side, the self-preservation instinct. On the other side, the scientist in her. Science was her life. She hated to admit it, but she felt truly honoured to be one of the probably very few humans permitted to interact with this alien race. Aliens. From another planet. Here on Earth. It was difficult to assimilate. The universe was very big, of course it was possible that other sentient races inhabited it, but the chances of meeting them were very small. Or so she thought until now.

A race of giant beings made of metal. What kind of metal? Was it an unknown alloy? Why were they so big? What was the gravity value of their planet? How did they breed and live? The scientist in her struggled to _know_, she could not let this unique chance pass.

"Damn it! I must be sick!" Excitement and fear at equal parts. "Even if I die it could well be worth it! I hate myself!" She thought.

Eleonor rose from the floor some minutes later, still a little troubled. But she had work to do. She took in her surroundings. Well, it was bigger than any house she could have afforded. It only lacked walls. There was a window, but it was too high. The faint light of the sun filtered through it; they were underwater, but not very deep. There was a double-bed, an electric kitchen, a fridge that was currently empty but working, a larder with many different cans of food... Even a complete bathroom. She tentatively opened the water on the washstand. The water flowed instantly. She tasted it. It tasted like absolutely nothing. Distilled water, no doubt. She couldn't drink that everyday, but it was perfect to clean.

Then she tried the toilet flush. It worked. Someone had been studying humans for a while to make sure this was appropriate. But how had they installed the plumbing? And the wiring? It was a mystery.

"Hmm..." She hummed while thinking. Where was she supposed to write down the list of supplies she needed? There were no notebooks or pencils on sight. Well, good thing her smartphone was working. That would do.

Toothbrushes, shower products, cleaning products, women products... She was careful to write down the complete names and the trademarks she liked. If the Decepticons were paying for this, she was going to make sure they brought the best quality items. Kitchenware, bedclothes, clothes for herself, laundry detergent... Oh! She didn't have a washing machine, she was going to need one. And a tumble dryer.

"And I will need a laptop to work with it and run statistics. Or maybe play solitaries in my spare time." She thought in amusement.

Bottled water, fresh fruit and vegetables, to eat at least the first few days of the month. The rest of the meat could be frozen.

She continued listing things for a long time, making sure nothing vital was left out.

When she was satisfied with the list, she checked the time. Two hours had passed.

"Well, I guess I can rest for a while until Soundwave comes." She hopped on the double-bed. "Oww... sooo comfortable... this must be the most expensive bed in the market..." She set the alarm on her smartphone and let herself relax for a while. She was going to need it.

* * *

><p>"I think we should make public our temporary alliance to the rest of the soldiers, so that we don't have to clean her from the floor." The Decepticon Leader said, leaning back on his command chair. Soundwave nodded and activated the warship's PA system.<p>

"**Greetings, my fellow Decepticons. From today on, we have a special guest living with us. She is a human, and she is **_**willingly**_** helping us in our cause against the Autobots. Anyone that harms her in any way will be answering to me... personally. At least, while she is still **_**useful.**_**"**

Megatron closed the PA system and smirked evilly.

"Is anyone currently outside the Nemesis, Soundwave?" The Warlord asked.

"Starscream status: on patrol." The emotionless blue mech replied.

"Oh, this is going to be highly amusing." He chuckled with malice.

* * *

><p>"Yes! We are going to have a human pet!" Skywarp cheered enthusiastically.<p>

Thundercracker, who shared quarters with him, groaned in annoyance.

"That's it, Megatron has lost it! He's gone completely mad! I knew thousands of years frozen in the Arctic could not be good for anyone's health!" He wailed.

"But you have to meet her, she is so funny to scare! I brought her here this morning. And guess what!"

"...What now...?" Thundercracker groaned.

"I _deflowered_ her!"

"What the frag do you mean you 'deflowered her'?!"

"It was her first flight, and of course her first teleport! Then I did a barrel roll and nose dived towards the sea and pulled up in the last moment, I even brushed the waves! Mech, she almost fainted, she was so pale!"

"You must have lost your last bolt, Skywarp."

"And you are too pessimistic, TC."

"Starscream is going to blow a circuit when he finds out."

* * *

><p>The alarm beeped and Eleonor moaned a little but she woke up. It was not very advisable to be late knowing who had just hired her.<p>

"Greetings, Miss Eleonor." A deep emotionless voice said.

"Eeep!" She fell off the bed. "Ouch!"

Soundwave was standing near the door, his expression unreadable, as usual.

"Mister Soundwave, I am sorry, am I late?" She asked, a little troubled, rubbing her arm where she had fallen on.

"Negative."

"I made the list. But I didn't have paper or pencils, so I noted all in my smartphone, is it alright?" Eleonor held out the device.

The dark blue mech approached and lowered a hand. Thick wires surged from his wrist joint and started to ramify and reconfigure themselves. They reached the phone and entered the data-port.

"Woah. That was amazing." The young woman stared in awe. This cybernetic race was capable of adapting their bodies to human technology, and probably use it in their advantage.

"Supplies list: downloaded." He stated. The wires retracted and disappeared under Soundwave's wrist plates. "Request: follow. Destination: laboratory." She nodded and they exited the room.

Eleonor walked beside Soundwave through the huge corridors and halls. Every now and then they encountered some of the other soldiers aboard, but they limited themselves to glare at her from the distance, with different ratios of hate/curiosity. It was a little startling. She was afraid to be alone.

Soundwave had an enigmatic aura, but she started to like him a little. He was not kind, but neither was mean. He only did what he had to do. He was practical.

They reached the lab and the door opened. It was very big, and it had cybertronian-sized equipment. Machines she could only wander what they were used for.

"Human sized equipment location: left end corner of laboratory." With that, he turned back and left the room.

She came closer to the door. It didn't open with her. She was going to need something to open it, at least the door of her quarters. Not that she wished to wander alone and unguarded by the ship, but if she was needed somewhere quickly she was going to be late forever.

"Well, I guess I'd better do my homework." The thought, approaching her designated area of the lab.


	5. Scream

Chapter 5: Scream

Starscream had finished with his patrol long ago, but he didn't return to the Nemesis immediately. He had the rest of the afternoon off, and he intended to spend it stretching his wings. Also, not having to see the ugly face of his _dear_ Leader was a bonus.

The sky was his realm. He was the fastest Decepticon in the air. Not Megatron, not even his wingmates could outmatch him. He barreled through the clouds and made maneuvers that would be impossible for any human crafted jet. He didn't mind the human satellites seeing him. Soundwave had all of them hacked and was constantly monitoring and filtering sensitive captures. Even if they actually saw him, in five minutes he could be on the other hemisphere.

Satisfied for now, he headed back to base at great altitude, enjoying the dark firmament over him and the blue orb down below.

The Nemesis emerged from the waters and he landed smoothly. He sharpened his sensors and scanned the area, making sure he had not been followed or detected. Everything was calm, so he entered the warship and headed for his quarters.

**::Starscream, report to the laboratory::** Megatron ordered him via comm. link.

**::I thought I had the rest of the afternoon scheduled free::** He retorted, hissing static.

**::It will only take you a moment. I assure you::** Something in the tone of his voice intrigued Starscream. What was his Leader planning?

He altered his course and headed for the lab instead. When he arrived, he pinged the door and it opened automatically. He stepped inside. The room seemed empty. He sharpened his sensors and did a scan in several wavelengths.

"What the frag..." He murmured. His thermal scanner found a small heat reading in the left end corner of the room. He approached to the origin of the signal and froze at the sight, his processors struggling to find a logical explanation.

Eleonor turned around at the sound of heavy footsteps behind her. Standing there she found a huge mech, his shape very similar to Skywarp's, maybe a little taller. But his helm and face designs were different, he looked fierce. His color was light beige, with matt finish, like a military plane, but he was covered in strange black markings that resembled tribal tattoos. His ruby optics were piercing through her.

"H... hello... how c-can I help you?" She asked softly her voice barely above a whisper.

Her voice seemed to wake him up from his stupor, and the fierce mech went straight for her. She didn't dare to move. With a quick motion, he grabbed her in a huge clawed hand and lifted her to eye level, very close to his face.

"What is the meaning of this outrage!? Is this the last prank of Skywarp!?" He hissed, narrowing his optics to a thin line. Eleonor could feel the raw hate emanating from him.

"Please don't hurt me! I'm here to help you!"

"Don't make me laugh, maggot! How could you possibly help me?" He mocked. "Now, I want to hear you _scream_ for your life while I slowly crush your bones!" He started to squeeze her. "Beg for your life!."

"Please, I beg of you! I only want to help!" She cried, feeling how the air was forced out of her lungs.

"Starscream, stop it. _Now_."

The beige Decepticon snarled but ceased to crush the young woman. Instead, he held her tight in his fist. He turned around to face his Leader and glared daggers at him.

"**You better explain this, **_**quickly.**_**"** Starscream demanded, shaking the fist holding the woman.

"**She speaks the truth. I brought her here today for a little project I have in mind. She is **_**willingly**_** going to help us." **He paused. **"And you are going to work with her, **_**willingly or not**_**."**

"**Are you out of your processors?!" **He snarled. **"I don't want to be anywhere near this useless worm!"**

"**Don't worry, she will make herself useful if she knows what's good for her."**

Starscream growled dangerously.

"**Like I said, you are going to work with her every morning from now on. You will have the rest of the afternoon free. It's not so bad." **Megatron reaffirmed his decision.

"**I hope that she does not suffer an **_**unfortunate accident**_**."** Starscream hissed.

"**You better really hope that, because from now on, she is your **_**protegée.**_**"**

"**WHAT?! I'm not a babysitter!"** The jet exclaimed in outrage.

"**Tune your audio receptors! You are going to work with this human and take good care of her!"** The Decepticon Leader turned with determination and headed for the door, but stopped by the doorframe and gave his Second in Command one last glare. **"Who knows, maybe you'll even find yourself identified with her, after all, she is also a scientist." **He smirked and left.

Starscream growled low and focused his attention back to the small human, still trapped in his fist. She was very still, sobbing silently.

"You are pathetic..." He hissed, loosening his grip and turning up his servo. Now, the young woman was sitting, hugging her legs on his palm, huge clawed fingers hovering menacingly above her.

Eleonor straightened herself and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. She looked back at the beige mech, trying to look less pathetic. He focused his sensors on her. He could even feel her frantic heartbeat as she struggled to remain calm and focused, barely succeeding at it.

"I guess I'm stuck with you, huh?" He shook his servo slightly.

"What do you... mean, sir?" She tried to be polite. She didn't want to awake his rage again.

"Lord Megatron just informed me that I am to work with you and that your protection is also my responsibility. Are you happy?" He hissed, not bothering to hide his displeasure, leaning closer and narrowing his optics. Her eyes widened in contrast.

"I... I... am grateful for been... still alive, I guess."

"Wise answer." He stated. "Now, it's time for proper introductions. Who are you, and how do you think you can contribute to the Decepticon cause, tiny maggot? Tell me, I'm dying to know." He asked, his voice dripping sarcasm.

"My name is Eleonor. I'm a biologist... a scientist... my area of expertise is producing new sources of energy. Lord Megatron wanted me to build a functional industrial-scaled version of a prototype generator I designed. It performed well on the tests..."

"Do you have the blueprints and schematics here?" He demanded.

"Y-yes, it's all here." She reached for a memory stick in her purse and held it out. Starscream produced tiny wires from his wrist that configured themselves to USB port and snatched the memory stick from her hand. He was rougher than Soundwave had been earlier. "Please, be careful, I don't have any more copies since I don't have my work laptop here, and that is my only memory stick."

The mech glared daggers at her and she shrank a little. Then his optics dimmed briefly while he reviewed all the data in the memory. Starscream was not about to let it show, but he was truly impressed with the design. If they could build this at industrial scale, he would never have to go into fuel-raids again. Pits, they could even sell them back to the humans.

"How did you come up with this idea?"

"Well, I supposed that plants were more efficient at using solar energy that our photovoltaic cells for one simple reason: nature and evolution have refined them over millions of years. So, why not trying to extract the energy directly from them?"

"Hmm..." Starscream narrowed his optics, deep in thought, already thinking of the possibilities.

"It uses unicellular algae, because they are easy to multiply. The electric current is extracted from their membrane potential." She continued.

"Ok, more than I need to know. You will take care of your unicellular carbon based friends, and I will focus on the energon generator mechanism."

"The place where we are also has very suitable conditions for the algae."

Starscream widened his optics suddenly.

"I highly doubt that Lord Megatron has trusted you with the location of our base." He held her closer to his menacing face-plates. She covered her mouth with a hand, realizing that she had spoken too much. "Where do you possibly think we are? I'm pretty curious." His voice was lowered to a dangerous hiss. He picked a datapad, pressed a couple of buttons and a picture representing Earth was shown.

"Can you display meridians and parallels lines?" She requested. Starscream pressed another button and the Earth representation was covered in a grid.

"Somewhere in here." She delimited a square area comprehended between the meridians 130 and 90, and the parallels 30N and 30S. "I know it's very vague, but it's the only thing I could figure out without any tool. Am I right?"

The fighter jet stared at her with wide optics for some seconds, and then burst into laughter.

"What's so funny? Am I too wrong? I don't have a built-in GPS."

"The area is vague, but yes, you are terribly right." He said, still snickering. "I swear, if Lord Megatron continues to underestimate the puny humans it's only a matter of time I get my promotion!"

"I don't get it..." Eleonor said, becoming unsettled. This mech could change from homicidal psycho to maniacal laughter in two minutes.

"Enlighten me, how did you find out?"

"Well, it was about nine in the afternoon in Denmark when Skywarp teleported us here. And here, the sun was high in the sky like between eleven and one in the morning. About the latitude, the temperature is according to the tropical zone. If I knew the exact time-zone I could be more accurate."

"According to your time-zones, it's twenty-three past seven here, human." He said, amused, wishing to know what this sharp-witted human could do with one more bit of data. Eleonor's eyes widened.

"So..." She reached for her smartphone. "It's minus eight hours difference! So, this is the area I can specify now." She pointed a narrower vertical area on the Earth representation. "And I can adjust the time in my phone, by the way, so I won't be late for work. Thank you."

"Save it, human." He waved his free hand in the air.

"And... may I ask... who are you?" She asked timidly.

"I am Starscream. Lord Megatron's Second in Command. I am also Air Commander and Leader of the Seekers." He said proudly.

"What is a 'seeker'?"

"The flying elite of the Decepticons, like myself and my wingmates, Skywarp and Thundercracker."

"Oh, I met Skywarp before. He's kind of... funny. But I don't have the pleasure to meet Thundercracker yet." She tried to be polite.

"He doesn't like humans."

"Is anyone here that actually likes humans?"

"... Ravage likes them... for breakfast." He said chuckling darkly.

"Oh..." She didn't wish to meet an alien robot called 'Ravage' that liked humans for breakfast.

"What were you doing before I arrived?" Starscream asked, changing the subject back to business.

"I made a list with all the equipment and materials we will need for the generators. I noted them here." She handed him her smartphone. "The file is named 'lablisttxt'." More wires surged and plugged in the phone.

"Hm, I've got it. I will add a couple of things. What is this small device for?" Starscream asked, looking closer to the smartphone with touchscreen. It looked like a tiny datapad.

"It's a phone. I know your technology is far superior, but this is the best I could afford. It does many things: phone calls, calculator, taking notes, music player, Internet access, video-games... But it can't make phone calls or access the Internet now because , it's not in satellite range here, so you don't have to worry."

"Hmm, I see." He murmured, a little distracted by the little device.

The door of the lab opened at that moment, revealing Soundwave.

"Hello, Soundwave." Starscream saluted, not very enthusiastically.

The dark blue mech nodded briefly in silent salute.

"Hello, Mister Soundwave." Eleonor saluted politely.

"Pffft!" The fighter jet snorted static. "'Mister Soundwave', that made my day!"

"Err... Lord Megatron insisted in that I addressed him by 'Lord'. As Soundwave is his Third in Command I thought I should address him properly too... but I didn't know what to call him, and I was nervous at the time and ended up calling him 'Mister Soundwave' and he didn't seem to be offended..." Eleonor tried to explain, suddenly deadly embarrassed.

"Designation: appreciated. Starscream's gibe: irrelevant." Soundwave didn't seem to care about Starscream snickering. Eleonor smiled slightly in relief. "Request: supplies list for laboratory."

"I'm sending it to you via comm. link now, _Mister Soundwave_." The jet had somehow managed to stop snickering.

"Received." The blue mech nodded dimming his optics briefly. "Starscream, Eleonor: dismissed." He stated, his job done. Then, he left the laboratory again.

"And... how should I call you?" The young woman asked.

"Just call me Sir..."

"Ok."

Starscream gave back the memory stick and the phone to Eleonor and put her on the floor, a little roughly.

"Come on, maggot. I have to accompany you to your quarters... This is humiliating..." He grumbled.

Eleonor trotted behind him, struggling to keep up with his long strides. The lab door nearly caught her, and Starscream snickered about it for a while. They kept walking through the corridors and soon they arrived to her quarters.

"I will pick you here tomorrow at nine o'clock. Don't be late." He threatened.

"Yes Starscream, Sir." She saluted.

"Good girl." He said with a smirk, and then he left, the door closing behind him.

She let out a long sigh as soon as she was alone.

"I am not going to survive this. If they don't kill me directly, I'm going to have a heart attack." She thought bitterly. Then she went to the improvised kitchen and searched through the tins. She decided for some meatballs in tomato sauce. She was going to need to schedule herself a diet if she wanted to remain healthy, but for now, what she needed most was a long night of sleep.

She hopped onto the bed and picked her smartphone to set the alarm. To her surprise, the battery was full again and the time was right according to the current time-zone.

"Oh... that came in handy." She murmured. With that last thought, she let herself slip into oblivion, the jet-lag finally reaching her, now that she wasn't protected by the spell of the adrenaline.

* * *

><p>"Did you kill her?! Skywarp whined as the door of his quarters opened, revealing Starscream.<p>

"What?" The beige mech was a little shocked by the sudden concern in Skywarp.

"Your shouts could be heard all over the Nemesis..."

"... No." Starscream replied seriously, heading for his berth.

"Well... this is new. Starscream letting go of the chance to scrap a squishy." Thundercracker intervened, who was on his terminal and seemed to ignore the conversation going around him until that moment.

Starscream cycled air through his vents, visibly annoyed.

"Our glorious Leader didn't permit it." He reclined on his berth.

"That's even _more_ suspicious." Thundercracker admitted.

"Yeah... I know... now let me recharge. It's been an odd day. I need a good rest."

Thundercracker continued working silently on his terminal, while Skywarp had his gun dismounted on the working table, cleaning it piece by piece. Starscream off-lined his optics, but didn't go into recharge immediately. Instead, he took some time to review the work he had copied from the memory stick of his human charge. He had his pride, and he was not going to be clueless tomorrow in the lab in front of a puny human.

"Heh." He thought. The only humans that he had been close of had been dead or running and screaming in fear. Even those pathetic Sam and Mikaela. Completely worthless. But this one was different. A little less pathetic.


	6. Settled

Chapter 6: Settled

_[The next day.]_

The door to Eleonor's quarters opened punctually, revealing Starscream by the doorframe.

"Good morning Starscream, Sir." She greeted, with a small curtsy. The peaceful hours of sleep had done her a lot of good. She had also had a good shower and a brief breakfast consisting in canned fruit and milk (coming from powdered milk and distilled water). She felt optimistic and ready to fight. She was going to earn her right to live. Be positive, be polite, be smart and useful was now her mantra.

Yesterday she had worn the whole day her travelling clothes, simple jeans and t-shirt. But now that she was going to work in the lab, she had put on her favourite working clothes: a simple straight grey skirt, white blouse and white low-heeled shoes. Her long curly brown hair was pulled up together with a grey hair clip, leaving some hair wisps out. Completing the outfit she wore a white lab coat, but she liked to kept it unbuttoned unless she had to work with something dirty, using it mainly to put her phone in a pocket.

"Come on fleshling. We have work to do." The seeker ordered grumpily.

It was a bit disheartening to be treated with such disrespect, but she was not going to let that deflate her.

* * *

><p>Starscream was secretly glad to have something important to do in the laboratory. To have a purpose, a goal again. The recent defeats against the Autobots had affected him a little, and having nothing to do was depressing. He was a great scientist before the war, and he still was a scientist deep inside. He enjoyed making new discoveries and inventing things.<p>

The war had changed everything. It had made him mistrustful, treacherous, ambitious. He was feared by many, Autobots and Decepticons alike. He was well known for his deceiving tactics, his deadly precision with his null-ray and his numerous attempts to overthrow his Leader.

He glanced at the human girl. She had not dared to open her mouth in the whole morning. She was probably too scared. He watched her for a while. She worked with precise fingers with her human-sized tools, too focused in her own part of the work to notice his piercing ruby glare.

While working in the lab was something he enjoyed, the seeker was getting quickly tired of been nice to her. She was an earthling, an inferior being, if somewhat smarter than the average. It made him sick to be lowered to work with a human. But Megatron wanted her alive at least until the generators where operational. Oh, how he was going to enjoy using her as target practice once the work was done.

However, until then he would have to keep up appearances.

They kept working in silence until three o'clock, the end of their shift. Starscream gave Eleonor a lift to her quarters, another aspect of his babysitting duties that he hated.

"Oh! The supplies are here." She exclaimed as they entered the room and saw the numerous packages.

"Well, I'm out of here, little roach. Have fun sorting out your garbage." He exited the room, not wanting to pass more time than necessary with his undesired charge.

"...Good-bye, Sir." She sighed, ignoring the insult, as usual.

* * *

><p>Eleonor spent the rest of the afternoon organizing everything. The first thing she did was moving the electrical appliances and furniture. Some of them were rather heavy, and she was covered in sweat when she finished.<p>

Then she started to sort out everything. The meat in individual rations in the freezer, the fresh products in the fridge, the canned products in the larder, the clothes in the wardrobe... etc.

A few hours later she had finished. She hopped into her new armchair and inspected her new home.

"Well, I better get use to all this, because life will be like this for some time." She thought bitterly.

* * *

><p><em>[One week later.]<em>

A week had passed, and Eleonor was getting used to her routine. She woke up at eight o'clock and had a quick shower and breakfast. At nine, Starscream was punctually at the doorframe to accompany her to the lab. The silence in the lab was only broken by strictly necessary questions or offensive comments. They worked until three. Then Starscream was free from his charge and Eleonor spent the rest of the afternoon and evening alone in her quarters.

She was starting to feel a little lonely. She had never been a people person, and she was usually shy to speak. But she only spent her time with Starscream, and when he was not in silence, he was insulting and bad mannered. Her usually optimistic facade was starting to shatter under that disheartening environment.

* * *

><p>The door to Eleonor's quarters opened punctually at nine o'clock.<p>

"Good morning, St-" She stopped mid-sentence.

"Greetings, Miss Eleonor." A deep emotionless voice greeted her.

"Oh, good morning, Soundwave, Sir. I'm sorry, I was not expecting you." Eleonor trembled a little. What was this change in the schedule? Was she no longer needed and they were going to dispose of her? "Is something wrong? Why didn't Starscream come today?" She asked a little insecure.

"Starscream status: on mission. Soundwave's duty: escort Miss Eleonor to laboratory." He replied.

"Oh... well. I'll follow you."

* * *

><p>The morning went by slowly in the lab and Eleonor was sinking in the feeling of loneliness. Starscream was plain mean and offensive, but working alone in the huge laboratory was worse.<p>

At last, the door opened at three o'clock, and Soundwave was again in charge of her.

"Hello, Soundwave, Sir." She greeted, unable to keep out the depressed hint in her voice.

"Hello, Miss Eleonor." He offered his palm and Eleonor took seat, a little downhearted. They headed out.

"Did Starscream come back from his mission?" She asked, wishing for a small conversation until she was left alone again in her quarters.

"Affirmative. Starscream location: med-bay." He replied.

"The med-bay...? Is he injured...?" She was surprised with her own concern about the unkind seeker. Maybe he was mean sometimes, but she didn't wish him any harm. After all, he was a workmate.

"Affirmative." He responded. Eleonor pouted. The dark blue mech was not giving her many details with his succinct speech.

"Do you think... I can visit him for a while? Please." She pleaded.

Soundwave stopped for two seconds, checking his scheduled duties. He had time to give her a lift to the med-bay. He altered his course, came down a ramp and two minutes later they were at the med-bay.

As they entered, she gasped in terror, covering her mouth with a hand. At the end of the room was the familiar form of Starscream, but he was laying on a workbench, with his optics off-lined, and he had marks of bullets all over his frame.

"Scalpel: report." Soundwave demanded, slowly coming closer to the seeker. Suddenly, a tiny mech that looked like a spider emerged from one of the nastiest wounds in Starscream's flank.

"Well, Starscream is stable now. Those humans had some nasty sabot rounds this time. They pierce through armor and damage the circuitry below, and the wings are the worst part! It seems they wanted to ground him badly. He's not flying anywhere in a few days." He paused his soldering and glanced at Soundwave, noticing the human. "What is that little piece of contamination that you bring to my med-bay?!"

"Designation: Miss Eleonor." The blue mech replied.

"Oh, I remember. The little pest that Megatron enslaved! What is she doing here? Can I dissect her?" The little medic beamed, jumping slightly over his six legs.

"Negative. Miss Eleonor: not to be harmed." Soundwave clarified, carefully leaving the young woman on the workbench.

She ignored the taunting comments of the tiny Decepticon doctor. She was petrified staring at the motionless form of Starscream. He was so big and fierce, he looked invincible, and now, there he laid, gravely wounded. These powerful beings could also die.

"Is he going to be alright?" She asked softly, with a knot in her throat.

"Why do you care? You are a slave!" Scalpel growled.

"I know, but still... I don't like anyone been harmed." She replied quietly.

"Bah! Stupid humans!" He barked, and continued with the repairs.

Eleonor kept staring at Starscream in contemplative silence. Soundwave, for his part, looked at her intently through his visor.

"Miss Eleonor: not to be harmed." He repeated, and headed for the door to continue with his duties. "Visit time: one hour." She nodded absently.

Eleonor sat in a corner of the bench, trying not to be a nuisance for the medic. She watched him work for a while, marveling in how quick and precise his movements were. He sure was not a great warrior, but he seemed well suited for his work as a medic, with his small body and long legs that could reach the most delicate inner parts of his patients.

"Well, my work is done here. Now it's up to his internal repair systems to finish the job." The Decepticon medic informed her. "I will be in the next room. Don't touch anything!" Then, he jumped off the table and left.

Eleonor was lost in her thoughts for a while. She wasn't even hungry although she had eaten nothing since that morning. The medic's question was still floating in her mind. Why did she even care?

"What are you doing here?" An unknown voice asked suddenly, pulling Eleonor from her thoughts. She turned and glanced at the mech that had just arrived. She didn't notice him coming.

"I wanted to visit Starscream." She said softly, and paused to inspect the new mech closely. His body design was very similar to Skywarp's, but he was painted blue with matt finish, with a thin red line on the edge of his wings. His helm and face designs were also different.

"You know, if you were in his place, or even dead, he would not give a damn." He said grumpily.

She sighed. Her optimistic facade was finally falling apart, piece by piece, insult by insult.

"Why does everyone here hate me so much? I've done nothing to any of you!" She shouted suddenly, tears menacing to fall from her eyes. Even the blue jet flinched, surprised by the sudden display of rage of the small human. "I know Starscream doesn't treat me well, but he is the only company I've had in a week. I felt bad for him when Soundwave told me that he was injured. I just wanted to see him...I was... worried and scared." She wiped away the tears with the back of her hand, frowning at herself for losing her composure.

The blue jet was silent for a while, staring at Starscream.

"The humans did this to him. He distracted them so that we could bring here our supply of oil."

"You were _stealing_." She retorted.

"Technically, yes. But since no human government wants to make a deal with us and with the Autobots hunting us down in every corner, it's not like we have many other options." He paused for some seconds, looking for a metaphor to help him explain the situation. "Would you condemn a man that steals bread to feed his hungry family?" He asked suddenly, looking at her.

She looked away. She didn't have an answer for that.

"You were with him?" She asked, after a long silence.

"Skywarp and me." He replied.

"Starscream told me he was the Leader of the Seekers. Are you Thundercracker?" She asked. He nodded in response.

"Starscream... is not a kind mech. Even among the Decepticon ranks he is feared. But he cares about his trinemates. He cares for Skywarp and me." He said, reverently placing a hand on the unconscious seeker's arm.

"Anyone capable of _caring_ for his friends deserves respect." She admitted.

"War has not treated us well. The humans destroyed the Allspark. Our planet is dying and we can't go back home." He said, glaring at the young woman resentfully. She held his gaze for a long moment.

"I don't blame you." She said suddenly. Thundercracker's glare softened the slightest. "I think I would felt the same way in your place."

They fell in silence once more, looking at the recharging Starscream.

"If we finish our energon generator, you won't have to risk your lives again to steal food." She said, hope lacing her words.

"Do you know, that you will probably die when your work here is done and you are no longer useful to our Leader?" He asked grimly, leaning closer.

"I knew that since the first day, when I told Megatron that I would help him." She gave him a sad smile. The blue seeker stared intently at her. "And if he asked me again, I would say 'yes' one more time. It's not everyday that you get the chance to help an unknown alien race. A life for the privilege of knowing you? It seemed fair to me at the moment, and it still seems fair now, despite the treatment."

At that moment the sound of the door opening could be heard. Soundwave had arrived to bring her back to her quarters.

"Good-bye, Thundercracker. It was a pleasure to meet you." She said bitterly, climbing to Soundwave's offered hand. They left the room, and Thundercracker was left alone with his trine-leader.

A couple of seconds after the door was closed, Starscream on-lined his optics.

"How long were you awake?" The blue jet asked, scowling at the beige seeker.

"Long enough." Starscream replied absently.


	7. Painless

Chapter 7: Painless

"Lord Megatron." Soundwave saluted as he entered the main bridge of the Nemesis.

His Leader grunted in response, focused in reading some reports about the latest Autobot activity.

"I know that you like to spend even your free afternoon time working here in the bridge, Soundwave. But today something has delayed you. What happened? Is that human giving problems?" He asked, pausing his reading.

"Negative." The emotionless mech replied.

"Where have you been then?" The Warlord inquired.

"Location: med-bay. Purpose: check Starscream status."

"I ignored you had a soft spot for our Second in Command." Megatron pointed out, raising an optic-ridge.

Soundwave paused for a nanosecond, and then replayed aloud a recording of something his Leader had said not too long ago. _/Not that I care much for my treacherous Second in Command, but he is more useful to me alive than dead, and I cannot afford losing more soldiers to our cause./_

"I hate you when you do that." Megatron scowled at the blue mech. Any other mech would have awaken the wrath of the Decepticon Warlord by now. But Megatron knew that his Third in Command's words never meant offense. It was just his logical and blunt way of expressing this thoughts. And by the Pits, Soundwave had the annoying habit of been always right.

Grumbling slightly, he went back to read his reports.

Soundwave, safely hidden behind his mask and visor, smirked slightly.

* * *

><p>The next day, Eleonor was working quietly in the lab, still alone. Soundwave was in charge of her today too. She always looked at things from the biological point of view, and she knew very well that humans were social animals, but she had never imagined that solitude would affect her so much. Not that being practically a slave helped much.<p>

She flinched in surprise when she heard the lab door opening at an unusual time. It was only 11:30. She turned to see who it was.

"Starscream, Sir!" She gasped, not expecting the seeker. The beige mech's armor was still damaged, and he limped slightly. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." He huffed as he walked with some difficulty to his usual working place.

Eleonor was a little startled by the harshness of his tone. She continued watching him for a moment, and then continued with her duties. She understood that his pride was as damaged as his frame.

They worked in silence for a while.

"Are you afraid of death, human?" He asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

The young woman froze on her spot.

"I'm afraid of pain and suffering. But not death." She said simply.

Starscream paused for a second, and lowered his right arm, unsheathing his arm-gun and pointing straight at the young woman. She had never seen a weapon like that before, but she was sure it was deadly. She didn't dare to move.

"This is a _null-ray_." He stated, on-lining the weapon. Its interior started to glow amber, and then searing-white. Eleonor could feel the heat emanating from the weapon at close range. "It is one of the deadliest weapons that can be carried by a Cybertronian. Its precision is also worth mentioning. At full capacity, a focused blast can reach a temperature of 4000 degrees Kelvin, enough to sublimate carbon." Eleonor glanced from the gun to him. "When the time comes, _I_ am going to pull the trigger and make it _quick_ and _painless_. I'm not going to let anyone play with you." He off-lined the weapon and sheathed it back inside his arm-plates.

Tears began to run down her cheeks before she could stop them, knowing that that was the kindest gesture the Decepticon warrior was capable of.

"...Thank you." She whispered, still holding his gaze.

Starscream nodded solemnly and resumed his work.

* * *

><p>The days went by slowly as they made progress with the generators. Eleonor had chosen the most efficient and resilient species of algae that she had been able to find, and Starscream had designed a special flat panel that had a watertight compartment inside that would house the algae and extract the energy from them.<p>

The best part was that in case of necessity, the algae could be dried and the panels covered in a protective dark shield. In that mode, they could be in stasis for several months without suffering any damage. And when they were put in water, they came back to life again. That meant that the Nemesis could be several months in outer space without having to replace the algae. They only had to do a slow re-entry in the atmosphere so that they didn't burn.

Eleonor, despite her dark future, had a nice time working on the project of her life. It wasn't so bad when you had your death assumed. It was more like a weight that had been lifted from her shoulders. It felt strange. When you don't know when or how your death will come, you spend your life fearing it. But when you know exactly when and how it will end, you don't have fear anymore.

Starscream for his part, was harsh, but he was no longer openly mean, and he didn't insult her neither. He was surprised by the strong will of the small human. She didn't even slack at her work to prolong her life. She worked quietly and efficiently, and followed his indications without hesitation or complaint. He was starting to think that it would be a pity when he had to dispose of her, especially when she worked harder than some of the Decepticons aboard.

"Do you think we should give them a try, Sir?" She asked one morning. They had built five fully-functional prototypes with the objective of testing them on the hull of the ship. Starscream pondered the idea for a nanosecond.

"We have to inform Soundwave of the unscheduled surfacing of the ship then." He concluded, tapping his chin-plates. He started to make his way to the door but then he paused. "Do you want to come?"

"Yes, Sir. Thank you."

Starscream exited the lab, with his charge trotting behind him. Soon, they arrived at the bridge, and the door opened as the jet pinged it.

"Ah, my _dear_ Second in Command. What makes you honor us with your presence?" Megatron said mockingly. Starscream glared at him, but ignored the taunt.

"I'm ready to test a preliminary version of the energy panels on the upper hull of the ship. We need to go to the surface." He stated simply.

"I see that your little helper has been useful. I hope that you didn't have trouble babysitting her." The Warlord said, glancing at the human as she entered the room behind the jet. Eleonor made a little curtsy.

"Her performance has been most satisfactory, and I found out that she can take care of herself quite well, so that wasn't an issue at all." He replied, aiming to bother his Leader with his lack of concern.

"I'm glad to hear that." The Warlord regarded him with a wary look. "Soundwave, we are resurfacing the ship." Megatron agreed.

Soundwave went to the main controls and started to manipulate them.

"Surfacing ETA: ten minutes."

"Good." Starscream said. "Come on, earthling."

Eleonor trotted again behind the beige mech.

* * *

><p>"Don't you think my Second in Command is behaving a little <em>odd<em> lately?" Megatron asked as the door closed.

Soundwave stared at his Leader.

"Request: specific behaviour?"

"He doesn't go mad or start whining when I taunt him. He has been acting... more calm, and he had been grounded lately due to his injuries, he should be more... _edgy_." He clarified.

"Starscream status before the war: scientist."

"Hm, that's true. Maybe giving him a little of what he lost with the war could be helpful. To keep him in check, I mean. So that I don't have to watch my back constantly.

"Agreed." And Soundwave could not agree more with his Leader at that moment. He was not about to admit it in front of Megatron, but he knew that one of the things that made the Autobots stronger was that they were _happy_ with their duties, and that they _really_ worshipped Optimus. If Megatron achieved that, the Decepticon cause would be stronger.

* * *

><p>Starscream was carrying the five prototype panels, while Eleonor carried a box of smaller utilities and pieces to attach them to the ship. They went up the ramps, and soon they were at the huge deck door. The beige mech pressed some buttons in the control panel, and it opened, letting in the blinding light of the midday sun. He stepped outside confidently, while Eleonor crossed the doorframe and stopped.<p>

"Come on." He grunted.

"S-sorry." She apologized. She was a little overwhelmed. It was the first time she went outside the ship since her arrival.

Starscream crouched over an appropriate place and began the installation of the panels. Eleonor handed him the smaller attachment pieces as they were needed. Once they were set in place, he connected the panels together and applied a testing tool to read the out-coming results.

"What are your expectations?" He asked.

"The energon production will start in about ten or fifteen minutes as the algae start to photosynthesize. The productivity will describe an exponential curve, and it will reach full capacity in two hours." She replied efficiently.

"So, we have time." He said, stretching his wings and moving the flaps. They were a little stiff due to the lack of use since the last fuel-raid.

Eleonor seated on the deck, watching the blue sea and the sky above them. She smelled the marine air. It felt good to be outside for a while.

"May I ask you a question, Sir?" She said, after a long moment of silence.

"Hmm. You may ask."

"What is the _Allspark_? I have heard it mentioned a couple of times, but I don't know exactly what it is or why it is important."

Starscream was in silence for a while until he spoke again, his voice distracted as he looked at some distant point in the horizont. "The Allspark was in our planet long before anyone can remember. Nobody knows where it came from. But we knew that it brought _life_ to our planet, in many ways."

"In what ways?" She didn't understand quite well that part.

"We Cybertronians do not breed the same way you humans do. When we wanted to create a new life, we built a _protoform_, an empty shell of a Cybertronian. Then we went to the Allspark, and using its power we put a _spark_ in the protoform, and it became alive."

"A 'spark'?"

"It's difficult to translate it into your language, because it doesn't exist anything similar here on Earth. The closest words I can find are 'soul', 'heart' or 'conscience'. We are alive because of our spark, and when we die our spark extinguishes."

"I think I understand... And where is the Allspark now?"

Starscream was distant again, scowling at the infinite.

"It was destroyed." He said bluntly.

"But... if that's so..." She frowned slightly, realizing the implications.

"Yes. Our race has very long lifespans. We can live millions of years, but without a source of new life, we will disappear eventually."

"I am sorry." Eleonor gave him a sorrowful look. "And I am sorry I asked."

"It doesn't matter. Not anymore. And you wanted to know."

They fell in silence once more, lost in their thoughts for a long time.

"I wish I could do something... I wish I could help more." She said failing to keep the sorrow out of her voice.

"You _care_ about us?" He asked incredulously. "You must be the only one." She gave him a sad smile.

They kept silence once more for a while, waiting for the panels to power up.

Eleonor peeked at the testing monitor. It was in Cybertronian, so she didn't understand anything at all.

"How does it go?" She asked. Starscream glanced at it and looked surprised. He pressed a couple of buttons.

"It is working, and better than we expected. The top capacity is higher." He extracted a small sample of the new synthesized energon. He inspected it closely. Then he took a sip and analyzed it with his internal scanners. Eleonor stared wide eyed at him, excited with the outcome of their project.

"Well?"

"It's a success, earthling. You have done a great work." He rewarded her with his first compliment.

"_We_ have done a great work." Her face was radiant with pride. "How much higher is the production?"

"About 30% more." He replied, making some quick calculations.

"Yes! Take that oil-companies!" She shouted.

"Eleonor."

She froze.

"Sorry, Sir. I lost my composure." But she was more shocked because it was also the first time he had called her by her name.

He crouched before her, his face-plates set in a grim expression. Eleonor knew at that very moment that her time had come.

"I am going to ask this only once, so listen carefully." He said slowly. She stared at him very still. "I think my wings are enough repaired to fly without many acrobatics. The prototypes were a success and all that is left to do is serial-build and install them. That, I can do it alone." He paused. "I can take you to land. Do you want to leave? Do you want to _live_?"

Eleonor was shocked and could not move or speak for some seconds.

"With all due respect, Sir, I wouldn't miss the look on Lord Megatron's face when we told him that a puny human has greatly aided him, for anything in the world."

Starscream smirked.

"You are crazy, woman. But I respect your choice."

He picked another energon sample and they went back to the bridge.

* * *

><p>"Lord Megatron." Starscream saluted as they entered the main bridge. The Decepticon Leader glanced back at him questioningly. "It is a success." He handed him the sample.<p>

Megatron optics widened in surprise despite his intents to keep his emotions in check.

"What is the estimated production once all them are installed?" He inquired.

"Between 4 and 5 tons."

"Per week?"

"Per _day_." The beige mech announced slowly and triumphantly.

Megatron tapped his chin-plates thoughtfully, trying to hide a delighted smirk. Eleonor smiled shyly from her spot behind Starscream. The look on the usually stern face of the Warlord was definitely priceless.

"I am pleased." Megatron granted. "Now, as a reward, I order you to terminate the insect that has been bothering you all these days, now that her job is done."

"... Yes, Lord Megatron..." He replied, trying not to show any emotion. He unsheathed his null-ray gun and on-lined it, the weapon's capacitors whining as they loaded to full power.

Eleonor didn't even move from her spot beside the beige jet.

Starscream pinged Soundwave silently. The blue mech glanced back at him subtly.

"What is this, you don't even try to run?" Megatron said mockingly.

"I'm not running, my Lord. I don't wish to go anywhere else." She stated humbly.

"A dignified ending then, for a fleshling." Megatron snorted.

She looked at Starscream and held his gaze.

"Any last words, human?" He asked, his null-ray pointed directly at her. The tone in his voice didn't have malice or joy, just bitterness.

"Goodbye, Starscream, Sir." She closed her eyes.


	8. Accuracy

Chapter 8: Accuracy

"Execution: not recommended." Soundwave said suddenly.

Megatron and Starscream stared at him in disbelief.

"Cost of human basic necessities: near zero. Benefits: proven valuable. Continued use of human abilities: more profitable."

The Decepticon Leader and his Second in Command exchanged stares for a long time.

"In that case... Starscream, I give this human to you. She is yours from now on. Do as you please with her. Put her to work if you find her more uses."

"Yes, Lord Megatron." The beige jet replied, quickly sheathing back his null-ray. He picked up the shocked form of Eleonor from the floor, and exited the bridge before his Leader could change his mind.

* * *

><p>The Decepticon Warlord glanced at his Third in Command as they exited the room.<p>

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Soundwave?" Megatron asked.

"Affirmative. Accuracy ratio: 99.9%"

Megatron looked distant for a moment, then he went back to inspect the energon sample that Starscream had brought. He had to admit that that miserable human had been quite useful.

Soundwave took a seat at his usual terminal and tried to get back to work, but the past events had shaken him gravely.

Starscream had desperately pinged him and given him a brief glance. Soundwave, without many other options, had intended to reach the beige mech's mind, using his telepathy. He had been expecting to find his mind protected by firewalls, but he had found just the opposite. The jet's mind firewalls were almost down, and his superficial thoughts could be easily read. He kept repeating the same thing: _/I don't want to kill her. I don't want to kill her. I don't want to pull the trigger. Help me. Save her. Please Soundwave. Megatron always listens to you. Save her./_

* * *

><p>Starscream walked hurriedly to Eleonor's quarters. Once he was inside, he closed and locked the door. He leaned on a wall and let himself slide down until he was sitting on the floor.<p>

He looked at his servos. Curled among his clawed fingers was the tiny human figure. She was trembling. All the self-control, confidence and composure had shattered as they entered the door of her quarters.

"You are not going anywhere." He whispered reassuringly, holding her closer to his chest. "...You are not going anywhere..." He repeated.

Thanks to the small human, he had rediscovered his long lost scientific side. He had been denying it to himself, but the truth was that he had truly enjoyed working in the lab with a loyal assistant. And the best reward had been the results. Maybe he was sometimes in disagreement with his Leader, but he was loyal to the Decepticon cause, and this energon generator was the best thing he had done in a long time to contribute to his cause. And the tiny being that laid now on his servos was to be thanked for that. Maybe this one, maybe just this one was worth saving.

"You saved me." She said, not a question, not a statement.

"Anyone capable of caring deserves respect. And you _care_." He replied, frowning.

"You were listening." She gave a tired laugh.

"Did you see the look on Megatron face-plates?"

"Totally worthy." She agreed before falling into a tired sleep, the stress and the adrenaline slowly fading out of her.

* * *

><p>Eleonor stirred in her dreams, one hour later, slowly coming out of her stress-induced nap.<p>

"Oh my god I fell asleep in Starscream's hand." The memories suddenly rushed in and she flinched. She peeked through the dangerous claws. The beige mech seemed to be in recharge, his optics off-lined. "Sir...?" She whispered tentatively. He didn't respond.

She took the chance to inspect him closely. The parts of his outer armour that matched his alt-form were light beige, with matt finish, and with that strange black marks like tribal tattoos. But the inner armor was dark grey, from plain polished metal. His metal hands had five clawed fingers, the ones at each end could be opposed, like if he had two thumbs. She caressed the palm where she was seated with her hand. She had expected the metal to be cold, but it was warm, maybe around 30ºC. They were an interesting race for sure.

"Are you done snooping around my servos?" A grumpy voice asked suddenly. Eleonor jumped and blushed in embarrassment.

"I am sorry, Sir."

"Don't sleep on me. It's embarrassing."

"No, Sir."

"And get down so I can regain some of my dignity."

"Yes, Sir."

He lowered his hand to the floor and Eleonor jumped down. Starscream straightened up and coughed some static, clearing his vocalizer. He made his way towards the door, but paused to say something more.

"It's 16:24. Your shift ended a while ago. Eat and rest well. Tomorrow we'll have a lot of work to do." He said, giving her one last glance.

"Until tomorrow, Sir." She smiled slightly.

Starscream exited the room and headed for his own quarters.

"I am a soft sparked idiot." He thought, shaking his head in disbelief.


	9. Panels

Chapter 9: Panels

Starscream and Eleonor spent the next week building and installing the panels on the upper hull of the Nemesis. Skywarp and Thundercracker were helping them too. Starscream didn't trust any other Decepticon around the human for now, unless he was keeping an optic on her.

The beige mech watched the small human as she handed tools and pieces for him and his trine-mates. She was diligent and restless. He admitted been a little bossy with her sometimes, but she never complained. She seemed just happy with her work... and to be alive.

"Well, that was the last one." Thundercracker announced, straightening over the last panel he had installed.

"Let me check the connections before we go." Starscream murmured, grabbing a diagnosis tool to inspect the circuits.

Eleonor let herself drop on the floor and seated cross-legged in the shadow projected by Starscream. She wiped the sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand.

"You look exhausted, little one." Skywarp observed.

"I am fine. I just took a little too much sun on my head." She replied, giving it no importance.

"I didn't save you so that you could kill yourself working in the sun. So, if you need to rest for a while, say it. I know you humans are more fragile than us." Starscream said, scowling at her.

"Yes, Sir." She said with a smile.

"Hey, little miss, do you want to go for a ride, the weather is perfect!" Skywarp beamed.

"Uhh... I rather not, but thank you anyway." She replied, fidgeting a little, the traumatic experience of her first flight still fresh in her mind.

"Aww. Such a pity. You are cute when you are scared." The black mech snickered.

"Well, everything seems to be in order. Let's go inside." Starscream said, offering a hand to his human assistant. She usually preferred to walk beside him, but the place of the Nemesis' hull where they were working was only accessible by air. Eleonor shut her eyes and held tightly to one finger as the beige mech started his thrusters and jumped in the air, landing smoothly seconds later near the deck door. Eleonor opened her eyes and looked to the floor.

"Yay! That's the face! You are sweet!" Skywarp exclaimed cheerfully.

"You are a sparkling." Thundercracker face-palmed.

"Let's go to the fuel deck to monitor the productivity of the panels." Starscream said, as they entered the ship, with the young woman still in his hand. It was a long walk and she was already exhausted, so she didn't complain.

::Soundwave, you can submerge the ship now:: The beige jet informed Soundwave through his comm. link.

::Acknowledged::

* * *

><p>"Commander Starscream." A huge Decepticon greeted them as they entered the fuel monitor room. There were many mechs in the Nemesis that Eleonor hadn't personally met yet, and this mech was one of them. She looked at him in awe. He was even bigger than megatron, and his armor looked heavier. He only had one big glowing red optic, his helm was adorned with a pair of small horns, and one of his arms was entirely a cannon. A <em>really<em> big cannon.

"Lieutenant Shockwave." Starscream saluted back.

"What brings you and your trinemates here? Checking the rationing of our already poor energon supplies?" The cyclops mech asked with barely suppressed resentment. His voice was deep and menacing. Shockwave had the duty of making sure the energon was correctly distributed and not wasted.

"I just need to monitor one thing for a while." He replied absently. He left Eleonor on a desk, and on-lined the nearest control terminal. She opened her laptop, and started to make some calculations.

"You still have that human pet?" Shockwave asked with disgust. "I thought you would have gotten rid of it by now." The young woman shrunk a little, but said nothing.

"She's smart. And quiet. And doesn't interrupt me when I'm working." He hissed, glaring at Shockwave and narrowing his optics.

The huge mech growled and turned to speak with Thundercracker instead.

"What have you been doing all this week on the roof?"

"It's a surprise." The blue seeker replied with a smirk. "But you will find out very soon. I promise."

Shockwave turned then to glare at Skywarp, the next option to find answers.

"It's not a prank! I swear!" The black jet wailed.

Shockwave was about to snarl in frustration, but he was interrupted by a small repetitive beeping from the terminals.

"What did you break this time, Starscream? Lord Megatron is going to-"

"Lord Megatron is going to kiss my aft and enjoy it." Starscream barked, cutting him mid-sentence. Even the small human covered his mouth with a hand at the rude obscenity.

The cyclops mech approached the terminal to see what was happening.

"Are the sensors malfunctioning? They keep saying that the energon tanks are replenishing slowly." Shockwave asked.

Starscream smirked.

"Report, little pet." Starscream ordered to Eleonor, but his tone was playful, not offensive.

"Photosynthesis at 10% capacity. Full-function in two hours." She smiled. "I'm making a graph relating the algae productivity with the water depth, so that Soundwave can regulate the energon production according to our necessities just by changing the depth of the Nemesis."

Shockwave stared at the small human, his single optic brightening with curiosity. He approached her cautiously, and crouched to be in optic-level with her. She squealed and hid behind the beige jet's arm. Starscream shot a warning glare at Shockwave.

"Does this mean what I think it means?" The cyclops mech asked.

"Ask her." Starscream shrugged.

"Explain, human." Shockwave demanded harshly.

"Uh..." She peeked from behind the beige jet's arm. "The Nemesis is now energon self-sufficient thanks to the photosynthetic panels that have been installed on the upper hull. They transform the solar energy into energon. The expected production is from 4 to 5 tons a day. With a sunny weather."

"You did this?" Shockwave asked with incredulity.

"I designed the panels and Starscream the energon-converter, and Skywarp and Thundercracker were very kind to help us installing them."

The huge mech was shocked in silence for some seconds, processing the new information. Their time of shortages and rationing had come to an end, and a human had helped to make it possible. Unbelievable.

"I don't like humans. But you have my word that I will not intentionally crush you. My name is Shockwave." He said.

"I am Eleonor, please to meet you, Shockwave." She smiled softly.

"Good girl." Starscream smirked and picked his human from the desk. "Come on, miss sunshine. We have earned ourselves a rest for now."

"Thank you, Sir." She smiled in relief. The truth was that she was drop-dead tired.

Shockwave stared at them as they exited the fuel monitor room. _Unbelievable._ From 4 to 5 tons of energon a day. Until now, most of the non-vital systems of the Nemesis had remained off-line due to the short supply of energon. But now, they could be operative again, and the rationing of the supply for the troops would end. Starscream was a sharp mech indeed, and his small assistant was smarter than the average human, he admitted to himself.

* * *

><p>"Aw, what a day!" Eleonor murmured as she let herself slip in a bathtub filled with warm water.<p>

At last, the panel project was finished, and very soon the results of their hard work will come out. And with the bonus of earning Shockwave's respect! It would be nice to earn the respect of the other Decepticons aboard as well. It was not necessary that they liked her, she would be satisfied with just not been shot on sight.

What would Starscream and her do from now on? What would be their next project? She genuinely wished to be useful around the Nemesis, and she enjoyed her time in the lab with the beige seeker.

Well, all that could wait until tomorrow. She rested her head on the back of the bathtub. For now, she just needed to relax in the warm water after a long day of hard work under the sun...

"Little miss!" Skywarp shouted, bursting in her quarters, waving his arms in the air.

"Eeep! Don't look! Get out!" She screamed, sinking deeper into the water.

"But I have exciting news!" He wailed.

"Can't them wait until I am not _naked_?"

"SKYWARP!" Starscream roared from the far end of the corridor. Eleonor flinched and the black mech squealed and ran away from the room, followed by his stomping trine-leader. The door closed and Eleonor was left alone again. She blinked a couple of times and shook her head in disbelief.

"Time to get out of the water, I guess." She sighed and proceeded.

Fifteen minutes later, she was done and dressed. Her normal working clothes, this time without the lab coat. She didn't have many outfits, actually.

"Are you done, Eleonor?" A third voice asked from behind the half-opened door. It was Thundercracker. Of the seeker trio, he was the more calm-tempered. He also was a bit grumpy at times, but he was usually well behaved.

"Yes, what happened? She asked, while Thundercracker let the door open fully.

"Apparently, Lord Megatron had the _great_ idea of giving a party to celebrate our new near-limitless supply of energon." He told her.

"Woah, I really didn't expect Lord megatron to be a party-mech."

"Well, the closest term I could find was 'party'. But I honestly doubt they are very similar to human parties. It would be more like... hmm... getting ever-energized with high-grade energon, easing the tension, maybe one or two friendly-fights... The moral had been a little low lately, with the Autobots kicking our afts (don't say that in public) and the Allspark being destroyed. Megatron knows the troops' morale is important, so he thought that celebrating this small victory of ours was worth it." He explained.

"I understand... Uh, what is 'high-grade energon'?" She asked, tilting her head.

"Like alcohol for humans. Similar effects on Cybertronians."

"Oh... And you want _me_ to come?" She asked, baffled.

"Starscream doesn't, and didn't want to tell you. Skywarp wants to bring you along. I, for my part, simply wanted to ask you."

"Hmm... I feel honored and I'd love to, but I really don't think I should go. I don't feel like being stepped on by a clumsy drunken-giant-robot... if you know what I mean..." She said.

"That is also my opinion and Starscream's, but I didn't want to hide the party from you because I think that you deserve at least a little honesty."

"I am grateful, Thundercracker, but I think it would be better for all that I remain here, so that I am safe and you and starscream don't have to be keeping an optic on me. You can enjoy the party, with no worries." She finished with a smile.

"Noooooo!" Skywarp whined, suddenly appearing behind a corner, having overheard the end of the conversation. "Why won't you come? I could take care of you!"

"And exactly _when_ would that be? Before or after TC and me have to drag you out of the rec. room? Because we all know how well you behave with a couple of high-grade cubes in your systems!" Starscream growled, smacking the black seeker on the head.

"Aw, poor Skywarp." Eleonor cooed. Skywarp was like a grown-up kid sometimes. "Hmm... I have an idea. What about... if I go just for a while? Just for an hour, for example. I can see how is the party and later you could accompany me back here, I'll be out before anyone goes out of control, and you'll go back to your party and finish getting high or friendly-fighting or what-ever-you-do in your parties. How does that sound?"

Starscream sighed audibly through his vents.

"Alright, but if any problem shows up, you are out." The beige mech agreed.

"I will behave." She smiled.

"It's not you I worry about."

"Yay!" Skywarp exclaimed cheerfully.


	10. Party

Chapter 10: Party

The Nemesis' rec. room was bigger than a theatre. There was an area with cybertronian-sized tables, armchairs and couches, and another area that looked like an ample dance-floor. On one wall was a huge cybertronian-sized screen, and at the end of the room was some sort of throne, overlooking the rest of the place. Eleonor guessed that it should be Lord Megatron's honor seat.

There were many mechs already there, enjoying the new limitless supply of energon from the energon dispensers.

"I'll go and grab some high-grade cubes!" Skywarp said cheerfully, and made his way to the nearest dispenser. Meanwhile, Thundercracker and Starscream took seat at a table surrounded by four couches.

"Here we go..." Thundercracker said with a face-palm.

"Do you think Soundwave would come too?" Eleonor asked, peeking from behind the beige jet's claws.

"I don't think so. He's not very fond of parties." Thundercracker replied. "And he prefers to personally keep an optic on the main bridge."

"Oh, does he ever take a break?" Eleonor wondered.

"Hardly ever."

"Here you go!" Skywarp arrived and handed each one of his trine-mates a cube of high-grade energon. Eleonor stared at the neon-pink glowing fluid.

"Well, I can join you with this." The young woman opened a bottle of cider with a small 'pop' and poured herself a glass.

"You enlisted alcoholic drinks in the supplies?" Starscream asked in disbelief.

"Yes. I don't drink, but I thought it would be a good time to start drinking when I arrived here. But the truth is, that I actually wasn't in the mood of doing it, and never touched a single bottle."

"Are you in the mood now?" The beige seeker smirked

"Actually no. Heh. But I don't care." She admitted, laughing softly and taking a sip of the bubbly drink.

"All hail Lord Megatron!" One of the Decepticons announced as their Leader made his entry in the room, followed by several mechs. Among them were Shockwave and, surprisingly, Soundwave. Megatron took a seat in his throne.

"My fellow Decepticons, I know we have endured hard moments lately, but those days are history. From today on, things will change for the better! Rejoice in our new limitless supply of energon! All you can drink! Rationing will no longer be an issue!" The Warlord said with his mighty voice, earning a roar of cheers from the crowd.

"Woah, and not a single mention of you, 'Screamer." Skywarp noticed.

"Hmff. As usual. I think I'll pass this time. I'd better get myself over-energized." The beige jet replied, finishing his drink in one gulp.

They kept chatting animatedly for a while, Eleonor asking questions about Cybertronian culture here and there, and Skywarp giving her colorful explanations. Then they talked about their skirmishes with the Autobots (the ones the Decepticons won, of course), and later they talked about flight. If there was one thing in the world that the seekers loved, was flying. The young woman was fascinated by how similar Cybertronians and humans could be sometimes.

"You should overcome your fears, little one." Skywarp insisted.

"I am not afraid of flying! I'm afraid of how _you_ fly! My first flight experience was a little... intense, if you catch my meaning." She retorted.

Starscream snorted, remembering how Skywarp had narrated his achievement.

"Hi mechs!" A tiny voice said from below the table.

"Frenzy! My favourite prank partner!" Skywarp helped the tiny mech to climb up the table. He was very small and thin, made of silver metal, and had four very curious optics. As he saw Eleonor, he glanced at her warily. "How are you doing? What's your latest scheme?" Skywarp asked.

"I've been thinking about buying paint and painting something, or someone." The small mech said with a mischievous smirk.

"Count on me!" Skywarp was in prank-mode now due to the high-grade running in his systems.

"He, he. Mech, I was bored of being there listening to Megatron's incessant rant about how the merit is all his, about the energon, I mean." The small mech said.

"He would be a good candidate for a repainting." Starscream murmured absently.

"In pink." Skywarp added.

"With yellow dots!" Eleonor added, peeking from her spot between Starscream's arms, a little too happy due to the bubbly drink. Everymech turned to stare incredulously at her. "Uh, I am sorry. That was... disrespectful." She apologized sheepishly.

Skywarp started to shake and then exploded in giggles. Frenzy was rolling on the table, and Thundercracker fruitlessly tried to muffle his laughter behind a servo. Even Starscream was grinning at the mental image of their Leader with the new paint-job. The high-grade was starting to loosen up their inhibitions.

"Ah, now I see why you chose to keep her." The small silver mech said, with a knowing smirk.

"Actually, this is new to me too. She seems to have two modes: scientific genius and uninhibited femme." Starscream chuckled.

"She's a potential prankster!" Frenzy cheered.

"No way! I'm Starscream's loyal and reliable lab assistant." She wailed, trying to regain some of her dignity, and gaining a smirk from the beige seeker.

"Yes you are!" Frenzy and Skywarp replied in unison.

"Whatever." Eleonor gave up. "By the way, poor Soundwave. He looks so bored."

"How can you tell? I mean, it's _Soundwave_ we are talking about, he never gives any sign of emotions. Even I find it hard sometimes and we share a symbiotic bond." Frenzy said.

"But I am good at observing and coming out with conclusions. He has not taken a single sip from his high-grade in the whole evening... What is a symbiotic bond anyway?" She asked.

"Hm, it's difficult to explain to you. There is nothing similar on Earth that could compare. It's like some kind of comm. link, but stronger. Not only we can share information, but also feelings and emotions. Soundwave is the best in communications and espionage, not only for his processor, but also because he has _us_, his symbionts, and we are very good at infiltrating. He commands us directly, without words, and he knows everything at the moment through our feedbacks." The little mech explained.

"Fascinating!" She exclaimed. "You said 'us'?"

"Yes, Rumble, Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, Ravage and me." Frenzy replied, taking a sip from his drink.

"Starscream told me once that there was a Decepticon called Ravage that liked humans for breakfast!" She gasped. Frenzy nearly choked on his drink.

"My poor loyal, reliable and _naive_ lab assistant." Starscream cooed, patting her on the head.

"We Cybertronians only nourish on energon, dear human." Frenzy clarified. "However, it's true Ravage enjoys playing... cat and mouse."

"Oh, intriguing." She took a sip from his cider drink. "Hey, Frenzy, I think I can help Soundwave a little. If I give you my phone, could you send him some archives that are saved in it?"

"Sure. What do you want to send him?" He asked, as Eleonor handed him her smartphone.

"A report I did today but didn't have time to send. It's about adjusting the energon production with the depth. I think he will found it interesting. The file name is 'algaedepthpdf'."

"And that is why I chose to keep her." Starscream intervened. He secretly admired how the little human always cared for everyone, friend or foe.

"She's a bookworm!" Frenzy exclaimed, disappointed.

"And send him my music folder too. He looks like the kind of mech who secretly enjoys music." She added, ignoring Frenzy's adjective.

"Ok, sent." The tiny mech grinned.

Everyone at the table turned to look at Soundwave, who was at the other side of the rec. room, next to Megatron. The dark blue mech stiffened briefly and turned to glance back at Frenzy. His visor dimmed as he appeared to be reviewing the content of the report. Then his visor flashed bright again.

"He sends his thanks." The small silver mech said, feeling the gratitude through the bond with his master. And if something pleased his master, it could not be wrong. After all, Soundwave was never wrong. "And you have mine too. You are nice, for a human." He smiled honestly.

"That is not too hard, living among Decepticons, you know." Thundercracker chuckled.

As if on cue, the first skirmish of the party began, with Bonecrusher and Blackout exchanging not-so-friendly blows on the 'dance floor'.

"Time for you to get out of here, squishy." Starscream said.

"Yes, Sir." She managed to regain some of her composure and glanced with worry at the fighting mechs.

The beige seeker picked her human charge, and they exited the rec. room, heading for her quarters.

* * *

><p>"Thank you, Sir." She said as they arrived to her quarters. They were off duty, and there was no need to be so formal, but Eleonor always turned very formal when she was about to say something serious.<p>

"For what?" Starscream grumbled a little.

"For everything, for taking care of me, for bringing me to the party, that kind of things."

"For almost killing you... two times?" He retorted.

"That too." She chuckled and smiled with no resentment. "The great Air Commander feels remorse?" She asked softly.

"Don't push your luck, crazy woman. By the way, give me your communications device." He ordered.

"My phone? Sure. Do you want some music files too?" She teased.

"Hush you. Tomorrow you'll know."

"But how will I get up? I don't have an internal clock like you to set the alarm. I'll be late for the lab."

"You still planned to work tomorrow? After a party?" He snorted.

"Uh... it's my duty..." She rubbed the back of her neck.

"I'll call _Skywarp_ to wake you up then." He said with a shrug. Eleonor gasped.

"I take back what I said before! You are the most evil mech in the Decepticon army! Lord Megatron is an Angora bunny compared to you!" She wailed.

"Ah, music for my audio receptors! Good-bye, human!" He left the room, still chuckling.

* * *

><p>Starscream was still laughing as he entered the rec. room again.<p>

"What did she tell you now?" Frenzy asked, amused.

"This is a big problem, I won't be able to look at Megatron again without laughing my aft off. I must not tell you this."

"Tell us!" Skywarp whined.

"She told me that... I was the most evil mech in the Decepticon army... and that Megatron is an 'Angora bunny' compared to me." The beige mech explained, taking a sip of a new high-grade cube.

"What did you do to her?" Frenzy wondered.

"What is an 'Angora bunny'?" Thundercracker asked.

"Google it on the human Internet."

"Why is my _dear_ Second in Command surfing the human Grid in a party like this?" Megatron inquired, suddenly appearing out of the blue.

Starscream finally choked on his drink and spilled it all over the table. The rest of the mechs at the table started laughing their afts off, in part because of the beige jet's reaction, but mainly because the 'Angora bunny' comparison with their suddenly-present Leader.

"Lord Megatron, you are going to give him a spark-attack." Thundercracker chuckled.

"I highly doubt it." The Warlord replied with a snort. "Starscream, why aren't you at the main table with me, Soundwave and Shockwave?"

"Why should I? All the credit is _yours_, enjoy your party. I'll be right here when you need me to invent something to prolong our agony on this miserable planet." He snapped, immediately regretting his words. Megatron scowled at him severely.

The mechs at the table fell into an awkward silence.

"Uh, sorry Lord Megatron. He gets a little gloomy when he drinks too much." Thundercracker apologized, reaching for the rest of Starscream's drink and taking it away.

"You are coming with me." Megatron hissed dangerously. He grabbed Starscream by a wing and pulled him up from his seat. Skywarp and Thundercracker flinched in reflex. They knew how sensitive wings could be. "NOW!" He roared.

The beige mech growled but said nothing, exiting the room after the Warlord.

"This is no good." Thundercracker murmured ominously, unmasked concern in his face-plates.


	11. Second

Chapter 11: Second

The Decepticon Leader and his Second in Command arrived to the control bridge of the Nemesis. The door closed behind them, and Megatron turned to glare at Starscream with severity.

"So, are you going to tell me what happens to you? I must admit that you keep me genuinely intrigued." The silver mech asked.

"What do you mean?" The beige jet narrowed his optics.

"You are not provoked by my taunts. You are quiet, a little gloomy. You are scheming something, I'm sure."

Starscream sighed. "So, that's all? Are you worried because you think I'm plotting something against you? Or are you upset because I don't give a frag about your puny attempts to mock at me lately?"

Megatron snarled and attempted to grab the seeker by a wing again, but Starscream blocked the blow by grabbing the Warlord's fist into his own servo. He just stopped the blow and kept it there. He didn't retaliate.

"I am tired, Megatron." He said very seriously, holding the Warlord's gaze as they were momentarily connected by their fists.

"Of what?" He growled.

"Of everything. This war, this planet, the Autobots, the scheming..."

Megatron looked back at him, his optics narrowing in suspicion.

"Skywarp was right, high-grade makes you gloomy."

Starscream sighed audibly through his vents.

"Can you _please_ listen to me at least one single time in your life?" The jet snapped back.

"I'm listening." The silver tyrant growled.

"I am not so short-sighted, Megatron. I know too well that the Fallen died and the Allspark was destroyed. Cybertron is dying. There's nothing left to fight for. Are you blind?"

_/Well, enough of licking our wounds! Cybertron is dying and the Allspark is gone. What is our next priority?_

_Revenge: not recommended. Allspark not coming back from revenge._

_Tragically, I agree._

_Next priority: energon._

_Indeed. Until we wait for another opportunity to wipe out those despicable Autobots, we must think first of our survival._

_The Autobots have their pesky human friends happily providing them with oil. We, instead, have to steal it from their refineries. And the security is better everyday. We are not easily killed, but every time Starscream and his trinemates come back from one of their fuel raids they have to spend one day in the med-bay. Not that I care much for my treacherous Second in Command, but he is more useful to me alive than dead, and I cannot afford losing more soldiers to our cause./_

Both Megatron and Starscream stared in shock at Soundwave, who had entered the room without been noticed, and had just replayed a conversation with the Warlord that took place months ago.

"Hmpff. It seems that I am not so short-sighted after all." Huffed the Decepticon Lord.

Starscream was too shocked to speak. The dark blue mech bowed respectfully and having saved the day from ending in tragedy, he left the room. His job was done. The Warlord and his Second in Command could have their privacy back.

The beige jet released his grip on Megatron's fist slowly.

"When you... died that day... in the human city... I felt happy. It was a dream came true. I was in my right to proclaim myself the new Leader of the Decepticons, and I did it." He sighed. "But my happiness short-lived. It seems that there were more pretenders to that position than I had first anticipated. Even with you out of the game, I could not rule the Decepticons by myself. They respected me more when I was your Second in Command, than when I was Lord Starscream."

Megatron sighed and looked away.

"I also realized that same thing long ago. That you and me were stronger together than individually. That is why I always kept you by my side, despite your persistent backstabbing behaviour. Our fates seem to be intertwined somehow." The Warlord admitted.

"The Decepticon army is ruled by fear and power more than respect, isn't it?" Starscream said with a sad smirk.

"Do you know why the Autobots always win?" Megatron asked, taking a seat, and motioning for Starscream to do the same. "They truly respect Optimus. Because he protects them as if they were family. They truly respect and worship him, and each one of his soldiers enjoys his duty."

"He is a charismatic character, I must admit." Starscream agreed.

"I thought... that it was not too late for me to start earning my troops' true respect. I needed something to make me look as a good leader in front of them. That is why I claimed all the merit about the energon generators. But I can't fool everymech. You and your trine-mates know the truth, as do Soundwave and his symbionts."

"And Shockwave."

"Ah, that is why he had been so quiet the whole evening." Megatron grunted.

"But you and me know an even more intriguing truth." The beige mech said absently.

"That all the credit is to that small human femme? Don't remind me."

Starscream chuckled softly.

"Lord Megatron." The jet said suddenly, very serious. The Decepticon Leader was surprised by the tone of his voice. Not a glint of mischief or irony. "I know that I have never been the most reliable mech, and that we usually disagree in many aspects... but, this time... you are right, and I strongly agree with you. There is nothing more we can solve fighting. I am not talking about making peace with the Autobots, Primus forbid it! But maybe we can ignore them for a while, and try to progress in a different direction. Who knows, maybe this energon generator is the first one of several technological advances that could lead us to an unknown victory."

"I agree with you too, Starscream."

"And... you know... you can take credit, I don't care. We are walking the same path anyway. I am happy to be in a lab again, and I am fine being Second in Command, at least for now."

"Thank you, Starscream." Megatron said honestly. "But don't get too soft on me, or we will rust." He added with a smirk. "Now, should we go back to the party, before they run out of high-grade?"

"Of course." Starscream smirked.

They exited the bridge, and headed again for the rec. room.

"By the way, are you going to tell me why were all of you laughing so hard at your table the whole evening? I must admit I was envious." The Warlord inquired.

"Oh, we were laughing at my little human pet, she's a poor naive creature, the things she says..."

"The next party she is sitting with me then."

Skywarp, Thundercracker, Soundwave, Frenzy and Shockwave stared in awe at the Decepticon Lord and his Second in Command as they entered the rec. room, both of them unharmed. Then, they turned to stare at Soundwave.

"I don't know what you did there, but you are good, Soundwave. I must admit it. You are _good_." Skywarp said, staring in disbelief at the dark blue mech.

"Soundwave: superior." Safely hidden behind his mask and visor, Soundwave was grinning.


	12. Next priority

Chapter 12: Next priority

Eleonor stirred within dreams, hearing someone calling her.

"Human, wake up..."

"Uhnn, wha... wher...?" Eleonor awakened fully and gasped. She jumped out of the bed. "What time is it? Am I late- ouch!" She tripped over the sheets and fell to the cold metal floor.

"You sure have a light sleep, and you wake up fast, but you don't coordinate too well for the first few minutes." A tiny silver mech pointed out, between giggles.

"Oh, good morning Frenzy! What brings you to my lair?" Eleonor said casually from the floor.

"It's 11 o'clock. Starscream thought it was enough sleeping for a human after a party. He actually wanted to send Skywarp for you, but I volunteered first. Fortunately, I was at the main bridge with Soundwave at that moment."

"Do you know, that you have probably just saved me from a heart-attack?"

"Yep."

"Can I hug you?"

"Nope."

"Aww..."

"But you can hug our escort later." He was grinning. Eleonor narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"Alright... just give me fifteen minutes... can you?" She begged.

"Of course, I'll be just outside. Call me when you are ready."

Eleonor had a quick shower and breakfast, dressed properly, and called for Frenzy. The door of her quarters opened, revealing a smirking Frenzy that was leaning on another mech.

She gasped. It was the first time she saw a mech that was no humanoid. This one looked like a monstrous metal panther, the size of a horse. His body was dark metallic grey, and he had one single red optic. When he saw her, the metal panther smiled with a toothy grin.

"Skywarp was right! You have that sweet face when you are scared!" Frenzy beamed.

"And here I thought you saved me from a heart-attack..." She was petrified under the doorframe.

Slowly, the huge metal cat came closer to her. She stood very still. The mech's sleek frame seemed designed with only one purpose: killing. Quick and fast. He arrived to her side and sniffed her.

"I think he likes you." Frenzy smirked.

Eleonor gulped and plucking up her courage, she reached out a hand and patted the big head of the cat... who actually started to purr in reply.

"It's like a huge kitten!" She gasped.

* * *

><p>"Hi again!" Frenzy saluted informally as he entered the main bridge again.<p>

"Good morning... err... afternoon, Starscream, Sir." Eleonor said, a little distracted by the change in her normal schedule.

"Hello, my little pet." Starscream saluted back. He enjoyed calling her things instead of her true name to tease her.

The metal panther started nuzzling against her back.

"Look at what I just found! Can I keep it?" Eleonor started to scratch the big cat behind his ear-like audio receptors. It started to purr in delight and dropped upside down to the floor.

The beige jet blinked his optics in disbelief.

At that moment, the door of the main bridge opened again to reveal Megatron and Soundwave, that had gone out for a moment. They stared in disbelief at the scene before their optics. The little human was caressing the belly of the deadly Cybertronian panther, who was squirming in delight under her touch and purring loudly.

"Uh, good morning Lord Megatron, Soundwave." She made a curtsy. Megatron regarded her for a long moment until she started to feel uncomfortable.

"Definitely, the next party you are sitting at my table." He said with an evil smirk. He rounded them and went to his usual terminal. Eleonor tilted her head. She had missed something for sure.

"Ravage: behave." Soundwave said to his symbiont.

"Are you Ravage?!" She gasped in disbelief. Ravage nuzzled against her legs in reply.

"I don't know how you do it, human. I swear, I'm clueless." Starscream said in disbelief. "What you have there is one of our most feared warriors. He is silent, swift and precise. Doesn't know fear or remorse." He sighed audibly through his vents. "And yet, there he is, melted into a puddle of happy joy.

"Why don't we ask him?" She wondered.

"Because Ravage does not speak." The beige jet shook his head.

Frenzy and Soundwave flinched simultaneously. Yes, Soundwave actually flinched.

"Ravage don't you ever do that again! I will be embarrassed forever!" Frenzy wailed.

"Ravage: desist." The blue mech commanded. The big cat nuzzled one more time against Eleonor and jumped over his master's desk. He curled, yawned with a mouth full of sharp teeth and slipped into recharge, still purring softly.

"What happened?" She asked curious.

"He lowered his firewalls through our symbiotic link to let us know... how... he felt..."

"Oh. Was it good?" Now Starscream was curious too. Or just teasing. Or both.

"Ack! Leave me alone! Don't ask!" Frenzy wailed dramatically and exited the main bridge, running and waving his arms into the air, screaming down the corridor.

"Hum... I am sorry, Soundwave, Sir."

"Apology: not required."

Lord Megatron was amusedly peeking at the scene from behind his terminal.

"Starscream, Sir. Can I have a look through the status of the panels?" She asked, reaching for her laptop.

"Of course." He offered a palm to give her a lift to his desk. "But I thought that was taken care of."

"Yes, but the algae are organic beings, and although they are very resilient, they are not immortal. Checking on their population density every day I make sure they are fine, and I also can detect any problem that may arise before it is too late." She explained.

* * *

><p>They spent most of the morning in peaceful silence. Everyone centered in their reports.<p>

"Starscream, Sir. May I ask something?" Eleonor said suddenly, very serious.

"You may." He permitted.

"Maybe it's a stupid question. But, I don't know too much about your race." She hesitated a little. "You had the Allspark with you for a long time, is that true?

"Yes."

"Didn't you study it in all that time."

"Yes, indeed."

"I've been thinking... could it be possible to replicate it somehow?" She asked. Megatron peeked at them from behind his monitor.

"The truth is, that I studied that possibility for some time, a year ago. I even hacked the files from a secret human organization that had the Allspark in their hands for many generations, experimenting with its energy. I retrieved all they could find out and compared it with the knowledge in our databases. I tried my own experiments. I was close, but I never succeeded. It needed vast amounts of energon, which I didn't have at the time, and the wavelength of its energy signature was also characteristic. I could not recreate it. Maybe with some residual energy or fragment of the Allspark, it could be possible to replicate it. But I could not recreate it from zero."

"Maybe I could help with that." Megatron said suddenly, approaching to Starscream's desk. He opened a small compartment on one side of his chest, and extracted a small piece of metal, leaving it in front of a stunned Second in Command.

"Wh... When were you going to tell me this?"

"You never asked." Megatron shrugged. "Scalpel used some its residual energy to revive me. I think there is still some left."

"Is that... " Eleonor hesitated.

"A fragment of the Allspark." Starscream finished, focusing his scanners on the little shard and picking up his characteristic energy signature. "Well... now we have the fragment... and vast amounts of energon..."

"And I need new scientific advances to claim my own." The Warlord added with a smirk.

"Can I help?" Eleonor asked softly, a little afraid to speak in front of the Warlord without express consent.

"Of course!" The beige mech replied, coming out of his momentary trance. "This afternoon we are going to make a list of the supplies we will need. Tomorrow we start."

"Yes, Sir!" Eleonor grinned. She could not be more happy.

Starscream picked up the shard and his human ally and exited the room.

"What a strange duo." The Warlord murmured once the door was closed.

"Starscream and Eleonor: efficient at teamwork." Soundwave stated.

"I must agree." Megatron admitted. "Well, are you going to tell me how felt the belly-rub with that soft little human hands?

Soundwave's cooling fans kicked in and he could do nothing to stop them. It was the Cybertronian version of a blush.

"Hah, I'm so evil." The Decepticon Warlord chuckled.


	13. Tracked

Chapter 13: Tracked

Starscream and Eleonor headed for the lab.

"Sir, this is great!" She said, and it took all her will not to bounce in excitement on the beige mech's servo.

"This is... unbelievable. There is still a lot of work to do, but it could actually be possible to create a new Allspark. At least, it is worth a try." He muttered to her.

They arrived to the lab, Starscream left the shard secured in a special compartment of his desk, and began to list all they were going to need, especially rare metal alloys. Fortunately, they had all the equipment they needed in the Nemesis' laboratory.

"Sir..." She whispered a little downhearted. Starscream turned to face her. "...I'm afraid the Allspark is not my area of expertise...are you sure I will be able to help?" There was true concern in her voice.

"Don't you ever doubt it. I know you learn very fast." Starscream scowled at her. "And I would not tolerate self-doubts in my lab assistant." He added sternly.

"No, Sir!" She smiled.

"Good girl. Now, changing the subject..." The beige mech extracted something from a compartment in his left arm. "This is for you."

"My phone!" She exclaimed.

"I have enhanced it a little. It has more memory, the battery now will last approximately for a month, and you have your Internet back, but I must warn you that Soundwave monitors all the in-coming and out-coming communications, so be careful. And take a look at the contact list!"

She gasped as she found Frenzy, Ravage, Shockwave, Skywarp, Soundwave, Starscream and Thundercracker listed there.

"You can call and text us, and if you keep it with you, it will open the doors to your quarters and the rec. room. as you approach them."

"Woah, even Shockwave, I can't believe it. Thank you very much, Sir." She said, as she inspected the phone closely.

"Shockwave says that it you start sending him spam he will shoot you." He chuckled. "Now, out of here. Tomorrow we will start making history."

"One more thing, could I have some of the data that human organization collected from the Allspark? So I can start studying it this evening. I am sure the reports in your databases are better, but I can't read your language." She asked.

"Understandable. I'm sending them to your phone now. Let's go." He inwardly smiled. Studying the night before. He had done the same with her project. She didn't like to be clueless neither.

* * *

><p><em>[Nevada, N.E.S.T. base of operations.]<em>

"Sir, Ah think ya should take a look at dis." A sleek silver mech said, his optics shielded by a pale blue visor. He was holding a datapad.

"What is it, Jazz?" A big mech asked. He had a blue and red flames paint-design.

"Ya tell me." He replied casually.

"They all are delivery orders. Of earth metals, different grades of rarity. Some of them are very rare and expensive." The blue and red mech concluded.

"All da orders were made yesterday, from different networks around da globe, but all from da Internet. All were pre-paid for, an' all have similar instructions of leavin' da cargo alone in a warehouse. Those warehouses are all abandoned an' located in remote areas."

"Could you pinpoint the origin of the orders?"

"Ah'm afraid not, but take a look again at da list of metals. Rings any bells?" Jazz suggested. The other mech frowned as he read the datapad again.

"The alloy composition of the Allspark." He gasped as realization hit him.

"Do ya think... it is possible... the creation of a new Allspark, Sir?"

"I don't know, Jazz. I have no scientific training on the matter. But I know one thing for sure: if it weren't possible, no one would bother to try it out."

"An here Ah was, grateful because those Decepticreeps had mysteriously stopped assaultin' oil refineries. They are up ta something, those slaggers..." Jazz was shaking in contained fury as painful memories rushed into his processors. Megatron had almost off-lined him in Mission City two years ago. Good thing they had the best medic on Cybertron on their side, or he would be rusting in peace by then.

"However, we can't be 100% sure that the Decepticons are behind this."

"Sir?" Jazz was puzzled. What other proof did Optimus need?

"Do you remember that 'Sector Seven" organization? They studied the Allspark for generations. Maybe they have regrouped and are trying something." He suggested.

"Humff. Ya are right."

"Where is the nearest order?"

"A 1.2 Kilo cargo of palladium, in Montana. One of da most expensive, Ah must observe. It is to be delivered tomorrow mornin'."

"We have to pull some strings and place a tracker device in it. Quickly." Optimus Prime ordered.

* * *

><p>"Uf, I'm drop-off-line tired! I've been teleporting around the globe the whole morning! I need a good refuel and a recharge-nap." Skywarp moaned as he entered the lab with the last package in his servos.<p>

"Thank you, Skywarp. You are a sweet-spark." Eleonor smiled.

"Just following orders, no need to thank me, or to call me embarrassing things." He sighed tiredly as he exited the lab.

The small human grinned and started opening the boxes to inspect the contents.

"Woah..." She exclaimed, looking at the shining silvery metal ore inside. "I have never seen this metal before. Only in pictures. It's quite expensive."

"How is it called in your language again?" Starscream asked, while typing something into his datapad.

"Palladium." She replied as she continued un-boxing the rest of the padding in the package. "I'm going to save the box, it could be useful to put small parts in it-"

_Clang!_

She stopped as something fell down to the desk from the padding. "What was that?" There was a small device on the desk.

"Scrap!" Starscream exclaimed as he slammed a fist onto the small device, shattering it into pieces.

Eleonor flinched as the fist slammed just centimeters in front of her.

**::Soundwave, move the Nemesis two parallel lines to the north. One of the supplies had a tracking device in it. Inform Lord Megatron immediately::**

**::Understood::**

"How would the algae respond if we moved two parallel lines to the north?" He asked to Eleonor.

"I must know where are we exactly, Sir."

"Just over the Equatorial line."

"They should be fine, we are not leaving the tropical region." She said reassuringly. "What happened, Sir?"

"That was an Autobot tracking device. I assume they know at least where we were when I crushed it. I ordered Soundwave to move the ship." He explained.

"This is bad, right?" She asked, her words laced with concern.

"Yes, Eleonor." He had used his real name. This was serious.

"What are we going to do?" She was starting to feel a little anxious.

"We are going to need to work faster." He frowned.

* * *

><p><em>[Nevada, N.E.S.T. base of operations.]<em>

"Optimus, Sir." Jazz saluted.

"Any news of the tracker?" The Autobot Leader asked.

"Yes. Da tracker's signal vanished from Montana an' reappeared in screen almost immediately somewhere in da east Pacific."

"Skywarp."

"Dat was my conclusion too." Jazz nodded. "A while later, da tracker stopped transmitting. Ah assume it was discovered an' destroyed."

Optimus was lost in his thoughts for some minutes before he spoke again. "Is there any island on that area?" He asked.

"Negative."

"Then they must be on a spaceship. The Decepticons had many at their disposition. I only hope it is not the Nemesis."

"Da big slag-maker."

"We must keep an optic on the skies. I'm afraid that if they discovered the tracker, they won't be staying in that place too much longer. We will send some human aerial reconnaissance just in case we can spot them while they move."

"Shouldn't have we picked up by now any satellite image of any Decepticon spaceship hoverin' da Earth by now?" Jazz wondered.

"Not if Soundwave is with them. That mech is capable of cloaking signals and hacking into everything, especially something as primitive as a human satellite." Optimus face-plates were set in a grim expression.

* * *

><p><em>[A week later.]<em>

"Are you alright, Sir?"

Starscream's wings twitched slightly. For a seeker, being grounded was literally a torture. It was true that lately he had been spending a lot of time in the lab, but he always made a small exit every night to stretch his wings for an hour, before recharging. However, since last week the Nemesis had not surfaced. They had remained at 80 m depth. The good thing was that in the transparent waters of the tropical seas, the euphotic zone reached the 200 m. The algae were working at 60% capacity, which was still sufficient for everything and everyone aboard the ship.

All this preventive measures had the purpose of avoiding been detected by the human aerial reconnaissance jets that patrolled the skies since then. They were actually not just above them, because they had moved, but they were still uncomfortably close, so they had to extreme the precautions.

"Just when everything was starting to go smoothly, something happens and we are reminded that the Autobots are still out there, trying to hunt us down. Not that I blame them... but we just wished to forget about them for a while and focus ourselves into more important matters, like building a new Allspark." He sighed. "And if I don't stretch my wings and go for a flight soon I am going mad! And I don't even want to think about TC and 'Warp. At least I can distract myself here in the lab, but that is not their case."

Eleonor gave him a sorrowful glance.

"Why do you hate each other so much? Why did the war start?" She asked, hoping that the conversation served as a distraction for the beige mech.

Starscream was distant for a while.

"The Autobots were formerly some kind of archeology league. They spent most of their time digging out the ruins buried in Cybertron. They were more worried about questions like 'where do Cybertronians come from' and 'what is exactly the Allspark'. They were always caring about the past. Their Leader was Optimus. Optimus and Megatron ruled together. You know, the title of 'Lord High Protector' was actually true. Our Leader was in charge of the protection of all the Cybertronian citizens. He was always saying that we needed to spend more resources into weaponry and defense. It worried him that we might not be able to defend ourselves if an external menace arrived to our planet. He cared about the future."

"That is actually very understandable." She pointed out.

"That was... until the Autobots found _the Relic_ in one of their excavation sites. I sounds ironic now, that it was the Autobots who found the cause of our undoing. That Relic contained the trapped spark of a powerful being called 'The Fallen'. He was one of the Thirteen original Cybertronians, the Ancient Primes. He was disowned by his own brothers for his unethical behaviour."

"And he was _alive_ in that Relic?" Eleonor was fascinated by the history.

"Yes. The Fallen spoke to Megatron. He poisoned his mind with promises of power and glory. Megatron went _mad_. He consolidated the Decepticon faction, and declared war to the Autobots. But all these things I am telling you now, we didn't know at the time. We were told that it was for our own good, to better learn to protect ourselves."

"He turned out to be the very menace for your race that he feared."

"Yes... It sounds stupid now. But then again, none of us could see that at that moment. We lacked the perspective." Starscream was distant for a long moment again. "We did horrible things to each other. Both factions. Even if we tried, we could not make peace again. Never."

"I understand."

"Megatron focused in the Allspark. He wanted to control it and use its power to his advantage. The Autobots were resolute that he should not have it, so they launched it into space, and it ended here on Earth. We followed it. We fought against each other now on a new battleground, and finally, the Autobots chose to destroy the Allspark so that Megatron didn't have it."

"They were so stubborn that they preferred to condemn your race and planet before giving it up? That was a stupid move I must admit." She frowned.

"I feel the same." He agreed. "And later, The Fallen was terminated, and Megatron started to recover his sanity. I know he hates humans and that he can be cruel sometimes, but he is no longer mad. I have been talking to him often these days, and he is having the brightest ideas in his career. And I agree with him."

"What does he plan?"

"He plans to forget about the Autobots for a while. He doesn't wish to keep extinguishing our race, Autobot or Decepticon. He just wants us to rebuild the Allspark, go back triumphantly to Cybertron and bask in his glory, protecting his planet, to be called Lord High Protector again. He doesn't even want anything to do with the humans or their planet. He just wishes to leave. He misses Cybertron, like the rest of us."

"We cannot change the past, but we can work for a better future, can't we?." She said with a sad smile.

"Yes." He said, reflecting on the wisdom of those words.

"And how is it that the Americans made friends with the Autobots?" She asked curious.

"That's a long story. Let's say, that after keeping Megatron in captivity for generations, we Decepticons weren't very fond of your race, and as soon as Megatron was freed, the first thing he did was start shooting around him. The humans found in the Autobots an ally against a common foe."

"Woah, Megatron got captured? How?"

"When Megatron arrived here, after the Allspark, he landed on the Arctic. Our armor is very resilient, but it doesn't stand a chance against the cold. Megatron succumbed to the freezing temperatures and entered in stasis. Many years later, when the humans found him frozen in the Arctic, he couldn't even defend himself." Starscream paused and was in silence for some seconds. "I'm not going to lie to you. We have killed many humans." He said grimly. "But most of them were soldiers. The rest were collateral damage. Do you know were intended the Autobots to hide the Allspark when we were after it? In the middle of a _human city._"

"That was not a smart move..."

"And they still claim to be the guardians and protectors of your race. How funny. Especially Optimus Prime, their Leader. He's so noble and charismatic, he can't stand a single human casualty."

"Heh, he should leave North America and go for a walk to the countries south of the equatorial line... And protect us, from who? Does he ever see the news? We kill each other every day. We are no better than you."

"Protect you from us Decepticons, of course. As if we didn't have more important matters to attend to."

"I am _so _not going to let those Autobots ruin our new Allspark." She said, her eyes burning with the flame of determination.

"You are my little loyal assistant." He chuckled softly.


	14. Fireworks

Chapter 14: Fireworks

_[Nevada, N.E.S.T. base of operations.]_

"Optimus, there is nothing there." Major William Lennox said, his gaze shifting from the control monitors to the Autobot leader. "We have been sending piloted and non-piloted aircrafts everyday for a week. We can't afford wasting more resources with that, they have clearly moved." He sounded exasperated.

"You must be right, Lennox." Optimus gave up with a long sigh through his vents. "Call them back."

* * *

><p><em>Optimus, there is nothing there. We have been sending piloted and non-piloted aircrafts everyday for a week. We can't afford wasting more resources with that, they have clearly moved._

_You must be right, Lennox... Call them back./_

Soundwave replayed the message intercepted from the hacked Autobot communications.

"It could be a trap to lure us out." Megatron mused aloud.

"Trap probabilities: 60.52%." Soundwave stated.

"We will wait three more days before clearing it." The Warlord ordered.

"Affirmative." Soundwave nodded, but inwardly, he was burning with fury. He felt he had failed. Despite his meticulous attempts to scatter the origin of the shipping orders, the Autobots had managed to put two and two together. Presumably due to the composition of the alloys ordered, and the short delay between them. He had underestimated the enemy. This whole situation was his fault.

In retaliation, he had furiously hacked into all of the Earth communications satellites using all his processor capacity. And he had found the Autobots. Puny human encrypt. Their supposedly secure lines never stood a chance against him. Now he could see and hear everything. He won't make the same mistakes again.

* * *

><p><em>[Three days later.]<em>

"We are very close, human." Starscream said, reading the data output of the terminals monitoring the recreated Allspark. Eleonor was amazed. "We just need to apply more energy to it and synchronize its energy signature with that of the original fragment. It will be a slow process, it could take a week from now on. But it will work, I know."

"This is... I can't find the words..." She murmured, and smiled at Starscream. If they managed to finish the new Allspark, the Cybertronian race will have a future once again.

"This is my greatest scientific advance, and the greatest in the history of Cybertron, no doubt."

"Have you always been a scientist?" She asked curious.

"I was a scientist before the war. From then on, I have been a warrior. One of the best if I may say so myself." He smirked. "It is lately that I have came back to my origins, thanks to Megatron and to you in part." That made her smile shyly. "Some days I must admit that my weapons itch and I go to the shooting gallery to ease the tension a little, though."

"Scary. I have never shot a weapon. Maybe you could teach me." She wondered.

"Absolutely not." He shook his head. "You are a civil, and you will be treated like one in case of war. If you were trained to kill, your luck would be different."

"Oh, like there are many noble wars lately." She shrugged.

Starscream smirked while he typed some data on his terminal.

"Can I ask you, what did you wanted to do?" Starscream asked suddenly.

"I don't understand..."

"I understand that most humans choose to study a specific path, to prepare themselves for a specific job in their futures. Something they usually find desirable, maybe because they have a goal in mind. What is... or was your _goal_? Before all this happened, I mean." He tried to clarify.

That caught her by surprise. It was normally her who usually asked questions about Cybertron and their culture. Starscream had never asked her about her personal matters. Eleonor looked distant for a while before answering.

"I know it sounds odd coming from human, but... I don't like people too much." She admitted.

"So, a human that is not very fond of her fellow comrades? How is that so?"

"It's difficult to explain." She sighed. "Have you ever seen our news programs?" She asked.

"Maybe."

"Well, we only have one planet. _This planet_. And we have no means of space travel further than our Moon. We truly have nowhere else to go. And everyday people keep destroying our only home. Killing and destroying just for fun. Making it uninhabitable. All they care about is their money. It makes me sick... they are so blind." She tried to explain. Starscream listened in silence. "I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to help my home by helping humankind to treat it better. So I started to design this new clean sources of energy. But... it seemed that my ideas had enemies."

"Soundwave sent me a little debriefing with that information." He said. Eleonor nodded.

"I was very angry, and I thought 'well, if humankind does not want my ideas, I will help someone else'." She sighed. "Do you know how I felt when Megatron offered me to work out my ideas for him and the Decepticons?"

Starscream leaned closer.

"I felt truly _honored_." She whispered. "I was needed somewhere. I still could carry out my dream. My hard work had attracted the attention of an unknown alien race no less! Everyone needs a goal in their lives, and I had found mine here. I honestly wanted to help you in every way I could." Her eyes were shining. "I realized later that this was probably a point of no return, but it was worth it."

The beige jet regarded her for a long moment, amazed by her force of will.

"Thank you... for listening, Sir." She said finally.

"Hmm... you are... welcome." He replied a little awkwardly.

The door of the lab opened a while later, revealing Thundercracker and Skywarp. The black mech was literally bouncing on his feet.

"Starscream." The blue seeker said. "Soundwave and Megatron are still a little suspicious, but they say that if we are careful we can go out and stretch our wings for a while. We just need to be extra careful in case it is a trap."

The beige mech pondered the situation for some seconds. He was going to explode if he remained grounded.

"Alright, this is the plan. Listen." Their trinemates came closer to him. "Skywarp is going to teleport me out, come back here and teleport you out then. Skywarp, you will do it far from here in any direction, but not directly over the ship. We will stick together, keep a low profile, and come back here in one hour following the same procedure. Is everything clear?

"Yes, Sir." Thundercracker and Skywarp replied in unison.

"Little assistant, we are done here for today. I'll take you back to your quarters." He told her, as he shut down the lab machinery.

"Yes, Sir. Please be careful. The three of you." She said with unmasked concern.

"You are a sweet-spark." Skywarp said teasingly, making her smile softly.

* * *

><p>::Oohh... about time... I was going nuts inside there, I swear... this damned seeker programming...:: Skywarp could not stop his incessant complaining through the comm. link with his trine-mates.<p>

::Could you just stop complaining for a while and enjoy yourself in silence?:: Thundercracker replied in exasperation.

::Hush you two. We are out of the ship's dampening fields range. Comm. links are not safe.:: Starscream scolded his trinemates and they finally went quiet.

Skywarp headed for a big cloudy cumulus and let the white cotton engulf him, feeling the small water drops condensing over his frame. His trine-mates followed him soon. It was actually a good idea to let the clouds hide them.

This planet and its unpredictable meteorological phenomena could be a nuisance sometimes. Snow was awful and hail was painful to fly through. Rain was just annoying. But the tiny water drops of the whitest clouds felt actually nice as they cooled their frames.

The clouds blinded their optic sensors as they barreled through them. That could have been a problem for a human pilot, but not for a seeker. They had many more systems to perceive their world. Activating their infra-red vision, the seeker trio could see each other clearly amidst the white sea while they enjoyed themselves, reveling in the feeling of freedom that they could only achieve airborne.

An hour later, Starscream silently pinged his trinemates. It was time to go back to the ship.

The teleport out of the Nemesis had been the easy part. Just warp out high in the sky, transform mid-air, and continue flying. But the return was another thing. The momentum was preserved during the warping process. That meant, that if they teleported while flying they would crash when they appeared the ship. So, now, they were heading to a clear area to land and teleport back. The nearest solid ground was the coast of Peru. Skywarp had taken seriously the 'teleport far from the ship' issue.

**::Watch out!::** Thundercracker shouted suddenly as he did a sharp turn, dodging a heat-seeking missile.

**::What the frag!::** Skywarp dodged another missile. **::How did we not see them coming?!::**

**::They have cloaking technology, they must be friends of the Autobots. Use your thermal scanners. Split, but don't go too far.::**

Another missile went for Skywarp and nearly hit him.

**::That's it! You asked for it! No more nice seekers for you!:: **The black seeker began shooting and teleporting through the air, wreaking havoc among the enemy jets. Thundercracker flew directly into the enemy formation dodging the incoming missiles, then, he released a sonic boom that shattered the cockpits and forced the pilots to eject from their planes. Starscream maneuvered at impossible speeds through their enemies, shooting laser blasts with deadly precision despite his speed.

**::What in the Pits is that?!::** Skywarp said. In the sea below them, several submarines had surfaced, and they were shooting from the water as well. **::Good thing their aim is crap!::** He said, as one of their sea-air missiles exploded far in front of him, leaving a trail like a firework would do after bursting.

**::Arhg!::** Thundercracker cried through their comm. link. **::Don't go through the smoke! They leave a jamming signal!::** There was a painful static noise. **::Slag! This hurts!::**

Confused by the stunning signal, the blue seeker could not dodge the next missile in time, and it hit him, rendering useless one of his thrusters. He began to fall in circles. Seeing his trinemate dangerously falling, Starscream howled in rage, and started to shoot down all the jets that tried to finish off his brother.

**::Skywarp! Catch TC and try to slow him down, I'll cover you. When you have him secured teleport out of here, in the sea if you must, and then back to base. Quickly!::** The trine-leader ordered.

**::But Star-::**

**::NOW!::** The beige seeker roared.

Skywarp obeyed, and teleported just behind Thundercracker, grabbing him by the wings and slowing him down.

**::I know this hurts, TC, but I am not going to let you crash at this speed in the sea!::** The blue seeker did not respond. Skywarp started to worry. When they had slowed enough, he glanced back and saw the beige seeker still shooting and dodging missiles. **::I'll come back for you, Starscream!::** They teleported out at the same time a jamming firework exploded next to them.

Starscream, meanwhile continued dodging the enemy jets as best as he could. With his trine-mates out of the fight, all the enemy fire was focused on him, the only target left. Soon, the sky was filled with signal-jamming fireworks and it was becoming very difficult to evade them. Then, a blast came out of the smoke and hit him on a wing, destroying his left wing-flaps.

"**Scrap!"** One of the fireworks of doom exploded just in front of him and he could not dodge it this time. His HUD went blank with static, and error messages appeared everywhere. Each one of his pain receptors screamed in agony. He began to lose altitude slowly. He felt his frame going numb, and just trying to maintain the altitude was getting very difficult.

His sensors started to fade in and out. All was blurry. He realized that he was nose diving into the sea almost too late. He pulled up, brushing over the waves and then a missile impacted too close, finally sending him to the sea.

A big aircraft carrier was approaching, flanked by several military ships.

"I am so not going to let you catch me!" He roared as he attempted to transform. It was excruciatingly painful with the errors in his HUD and the damage received, but he did it. Reading his null-ray, he shot the nearest ship, making it explode in a blast of water vapor and fire.

Then, a harpoon was fired from the aircraft carrier and hit him in a flank. Starscream howled in agony as he felt an electrical current flow from the harpoon, his sensors going haywire. Two more electrical harpoons hit him. His HUD announced the imminent stasis-lock. He tried to override it, but the pain was too much to bear.

"No... not like this... not... like... this..." He murmured before fading out.

* * *

><p>Skywarp and Thundercracker crashed into the water. Skywarp was in mech form, holding tightly to his wingbrother. The blast had sent the blue jet into stasis-lock, still in alt-form, and Skywarp was very close. The last jamming firework had exploded just next to them, and had affected him partially. His internal systems and receptors were screaming with errors.<p>

**::Skywarp to Soundwave::** There was a static noise.** ::Trap... it was a... trap...:: **More static** ::I am sending... coordinates...::**

The black seeker clung to his brother. He had to remain conscious. He was not going to sink into the oceans.

**::Screamer... I am so sorry...::**


	15. Change

Chapter 15: Change

Ironhide readied his cannons as the limp form of the seeker was hoisted aboard.

"Let me finish him Optimus!" He roared. "Let me finish that son of a glitch!" His weapon capacitors whined loudly at the sudden surge of power.

"Stand down." The Autobot Leader shook his head.

"Did you lose your bolts? He's an assassin!"

"We shot first this time, Ironhide, and he is an strategic target. I want to find out what the Decepticons are up to before it's too late. Nothing more, nothing less." Optimus replied with his deep baritone voice. "Ratchet."

"Yes, Prime." The medic stood to attention.

"Patch him up if he is losing energon, but don't make more repairs than the strictly necessary to keep him out of danger. Deactivate his weapons and restrict his movements." He looked at the unconscious seeker. "A cornered seeker can be very dangerous, I don't want to make mistakes."

"Keeping him alive is a mistake, Optimus." The black topkick huffed.

* * *

><p>The stars were high in the night sky when the Nemesis arrived to rescue Skywarp and Thundercracker. Soundwave and Shockwave hauled them to the med-bay. The blue jet was in stasis-lock still in his alt-mode, and his wingbrother was barely conscious.<p>

"Skywarp! Don't fade out, stay here!" Shockwave shouted to the black mech. "You have to tell me where is Starscream! We have to look for him!"

"Screamer... they have him... I could not come back... I failed... I'm so sorry..."

"_Who_ have him!?" The cyclops mech shook Skywarp harshly to keep him awake.

* * *

><p>"Those blasted Autobots have my Second in Command!" Megatron roared, slamming a fist into the wall and leaving a considerable dent.<p>

Soundwave was keeping his rage inside, as usual. It was a trap. He knew it. He warned Starscream and his trinemates. They took extreme precautions. But they didn't count on the new weaponry the Autobots had developed. A blast that could send a mech into stasis-lock in minutes leaving the body almost intact? Not even the Decepticons had something like that. Starscream was alive, no doubt. Optimus wanted to interrogate him. Or hack into him if the seeker didn't cooperate. The Autobots were going to keep him alive, at least until they found out what they were looking for.

"Soundwave!" Megatron snarled as he turned to face his Communications Officer, who immediately stood to attention. "Ready the ship. We are going to pay the Autobots a _visit_." The location of the Autobot base in Nevada was no longer a secret since Soundwave hacked their communications. "Keep the Nemesis submerged until we reach the coast."

The Autobots were going to regret this outrage.

* * *

><p>It was fifteen minutes past nine and the door had not opened yet. It was very strange. If Starscream could not give her a lift, it was Soundwave, or even Ravage who escorted her to the lab. Even more intriguing, the ship felt like if it was moving since she wakened up.<p>

"This is odd..." Eleonor reached for his smartphone and looked with a worried expression to the contact list. She attempted to call Starscream. No signal. Then Skywarp. No signal. Thundercracker. No signal. Her eyes widened and her blood went cold. She remembered now. They went for a flight. Soundwave was still worried about the Autobots.

"Soundwave!" At least, someone answered.

"Miss Eleonor." Soundwave greeted her without a hint of emotion.

"What happened!?"

"..."

"Please." She begged.

"Starscream's status: captured by Autobots. Skywarp and Thundercracker's location: med-bay."

Eleonor gasped, shaking her head in silent denial as Soundwave cut the connection.

She could not believe it. When they were so close. She balled her hands into fists and trembled in contained anger. They had Starscream. Her workmate. Her _friend_. Her mind raced, trying to come up with a plan. They had him, they had _him_.

Her eyes widened in realization. Starscream was very smart, he knew about the Allspark. The Autobots probably wanted to interrogate him. She reached for her phone again and called for Ravage.

"Ravage!"

There was a distressed whining sound at the end of the line.

"Ravage I have a plan! I need you to take me to Lord Megatron quickly! Could you come for me, please?" The connection was cut.

Two minutes later, the door opened, revealing the sleek feline form of Ravage. He jumped near her and let out a mechanized roar, then, he lowered himself to the ground and flattened the quills that ran down his spine in a clear invitation to mount.

Eleonor frowned with determination and climbed onto the Cybertronian cat. He straightened and started to run towards the main bridge. She held tightly to the seams in his armor as they raced through the corridors. The ship was swarming with activity, many mechs running up and down the halls. Good thing she had decided to call Ravage for help instead of sneaking alone towards the main bridge.

The metal panther came to a halt in front of the doors leading to the control bridge. She gulped. Megatron was behind that door, probably very angry, and Starscream was not there to protect her. This was probably suicide, but she had to try.

She climbed down Ravage, and the door opened with an ominous swoosh.

* * *

><p><em>[Nevada. N.E.S.T. base of operations.]<em>

Starscream's systems on-lined suddenly, his combat subroutines still engaged, jerking his frame as he tried to fruitlessly get up and face the danger. It was only after that unsuccessful attempt that his optics on-lined and he noticed he was no longer in the sea, surrounded by water. He was now in a cell, sitting on the floor against a wall, his arms pinned to the bulkhead with thick shackles. His frame ached everywhere and his HUD warned him that his weapons had been disabled and his energon tank had been drained. He was running on reserve and was very close to stasis-lock.

"Optimus, the slagger is awake." It was Ironhide's grumpy voice. Despite the painful pings coming from his sensors, Starscream forced them to send a wave to take in his surroundings and the nearby enemies. Only the Autobot Leader and his weapons specialist. Despite the futility of the situation, his battle processors tried to formulate a plan to escape.

The big blue and red mech entered the cell.

"Hi Optimus, long time no see... How's Wheeljack? I know that everything that explodes is his invention. Do me a favor and tell him that his fireworks were a success and that the next time, he can shove them down his aft..." Starscream, despite his situation, managed to give a weak smirk.

"They were especially designed for you and your trinemates." The Autobot Leader replied sternly.

"How touching..." The seeker's voice dripped sarcasm. "All this trouble just for us."

"I see that you are very talkative today. Care to explain what are you up to?" Optimus demanded, crossing his arms over his broad chest-plates.

"Well, the last thing I remember was flying just for fun with my mates and then... missiles and fireworks everywhere. We didn't even shoot first. I took you for a noble mech, Prime. I realize now that I was wrong. Do you want to join the Decepticon ranks?

"Not when human lives are at risk." Optimus replied grimly.

"You are a sweet-spark." His voice was like poison.

"Enough with the compliments." Optimus barked, his patience evaporating. "What is the meaning of this?" He threw a datapad in front of the seeker, displaying the rare metal orders that they had made for reconstructing the Cube.

"I have no idea." Starscream said, glancing down at the datapad near his right foot and sighing in boredom. "Maybe someone was trying an expensive tuning on his car?"

"The tracking device that we hid in one of them _disappeared_ and _appeared_ again many kilometers away. Only your trine-mate Skywarp with his teleporting capabilities can do that." The Autobot Leader narrowed his blue optics.

"You wouldn't believe it, but Skywarp is such an automobile enthusiast..." Starscream looked back at the Autobot Leader with a lopsided grin.

"Enough, Optimus. This is getting us nowhere. Just hack him already." Ironhide barked.

"And here I thought that only _us_ used that kind of intrusive tactics... Are you sure you don't have a Decepticon inside you, Prime?" The seeker sneered tauntingly.

"You leave me no other options, Starscream." The Autobot Leader sighed slowly through his vents. "I don't approve of it, but it's necessary." He turned to the weapon's specialist. "Call Ratchet."

Ironhide went to recover the datapad while he contacted Ratchet.

That was all the distraction Starscream needed.

As soon as the black mech was in grabbing distance, the seeker reached with his right foot, sinking his talons into the other mech's calf and giving a harsh tug, making him fall. Ironhide's right cannon went to aim the seeker, but Starscream was prepared for that event. Using his left foot, he kicked the cannon just in time to send the blast into the wall beside him, nearly gracing his own wing.

Releasing his first target, Starscream's right foot went for Ironhide's heavily armored chest-plates, talons sinking into the thick metal with an ominous screeching noise.

But all the movement ceased under a new sound, Optimus' weapon capacitors whining as he aimed his blaster point-blank to Starscream's head.

"Release him." The Autobot Leader ordered calmly.

Starscream hissed but complied after a few seconds of awkward standoff, unhooking his talons from the black mech.

"Just a little advice for the next time: _never_ come near a cornered seeker." He said, his crimson optics piercing through his enemy.

Ironhide growled dangerously, but was cut by his Leader's voice.

"Call Ratchet." Optimus repeated firmly, derailing any thought of retaliation that may have crossed the weapons specialist's processors.

* * *

><p>"What are <em>you<em> doing here, little insect? Can't you see that the adults are preparing for war?" Megatron growled, fixing his piercing ruby glare in the small human figure by the doorframe.

"P-please, my Lord. I wish to help." She begged, her voice coming out as a strangled stutter, not at all like she would have liked to sound.

"Do you think that being Starscream's pet allows you to show up without an invitation at the control bridge?" The Decepticon Leader growled as he approached her with long strides and snatched her harshly from the floor. "I don't have time for this." He started to squeeze her.

"Please! Exchange me for Starscream!" She screamed. Megatron ceased his crushing grip. Eleonor gasped for air.

"You have ten seconds to explain yourself." He said threateningly.

"Starscream told me once that the Autobots were a bunch of softies that could not stand a single human casualty, especially their Leader." She looked back at Megatron right into his optics. "You _need_ Starscream to complete the Allspark. He was very close. Exchange me for him. Tell the Autobots that I also know many sensitive information what I will give them willingly. I think it's worth a try."

Soundwave and Shockwave, also present at the bridge, exchanged worried glances.

Megatron narrowed his optics, considering his options. If there was a small chance to resolve this conflict without wasting lives, he had to give it a try.

"I sincerely hope that your performance is believable, human."

* * *

><p>Starscream quickly built up firewall after firewall, diverting all the power he could manage to his processors. He had a strong mind. He was a very smart mech. This had to be an easy task for him. He avoided Ratchet's attempts of intrusion into his mind every time he tried, but it was getting more difficult to dodge his blows as seconds passed. With his pain receptors screaming errors and his energy levels very close to the stasis point, it was only a matter of time that the Autobot medic succeeded.<p>

"I don't like it either, seeker, but I have to follow Prime's orders. Stop resisting, you'll end up damaging yourself." Ratchet told him, his voice gloomy.

"Frag...you..." The beige mech managed to mutter.

Starscream was not going to give up. Never. He raised more firewalls, the encryption codes stronger every time. But Ratchet was getting quicker, or Starscream slower due to the lack of energon.

Finally, his defenses shattered, and the medic reached his mind and restricted it from creating more firewalls. Starscream's conscience turned to encrypt the data files in his hard drives. The memories in the data banks of Cybertronians were stored like some sort of never-ending movie, tagged with the correspondent audio files and emotion files attached to it. If Ratchet wished to do so, he could access all of them, know everything about the seeker, his most inner secrets, his emotions, his wishes.

Letting out a low growl, Starscream furiously started to encrypt his emotion files. Hacking into those kind of archives was the closest to a rape a Cybertronian could do to another.

"I'm not looking there, Starscream. I don't like you, but I'm not a monster." Ratchet murmured, and instead he diverted his attention to the video files, finding them more vulnerable. The seeker tried to stop him, but he was too weak and could not prolong the fight any more.

The Autobot medic began to extract and review the latest video files. He recognized the interiors of a base. Starscream was in the lab almost the whole day, working on something. He was not alone. There was another presence with him in the lab. It was small... a human! There were many memories of the human in the lab. She was working with a laptop, and in front of her was... an unfinished Allspark! The small human was looking into a datapad and typing something...

"Ratchet stop." It was Optimus. The medic looked at him puzzled. "I need you with me in the monitor room. We have received a call." Ratchet frowned. "From Megatron."

"Slag."

Starscream grunted in relief as he felt the foreign presence of the medic recoiling from his mind as he disconnected the wires attached to his ports.

* * *

><p>"Greetings, Optimus. It's good to see your tasteless paint-job again, brother." The Decepticon Warlord saluted through the screen.<p>

"What do you want, Megatron? I thought I was doing you a favor helping you to get rid of your Second in Command." Optimus replied.

"Regardless of Starscream's reliability, he is still _my_ Second in Command, and I can't let you have fun with my property. You have no right." Megatron's voice was dripping with poison.

"Now you speak about rights? How about the right of freedom of humankind? Their right to live?"

"Ah, speaking of the devil... let me show you something." The Decepticon Warlord raised an arm and showed in screen a young woman dressed in a lab coat that was trapped within his grip. Heavy tears were running down her cheeks.

"...Somebody help me... please..." She whimpered, her voice barely audible.

"Silence, insect. You know, Optimus, it seems that some humans are useful after all. Especially with certain training..." Megatron said smoothly, and turned to glance at the woman. "Her name is Eleonor Guerrero Mendoza, and she is from a country called Spain. Does she figure in any database?"

"He speaks da truth, Optimus." Jazz intervened, quickly searching through world-wide databases. "She figures in a Spanish police database. She went missin' five months ago. She was a renowned scientist."

"Oh yes, Miss Eleonor has greatly helped us, not that she had many other options to prolong her life, isn't it, fleshing?" He shook her fist lightly and the woman screamed in agony.

"Stop it, you monster!" Ratchet shouted.

"But I'm afraid her job was finished some days ago. I was about to give her a _permanent_ retirement... if you catch my meaning..." Megatron chuckled darkly. "However, I think I can give her one last use. How about we exchange my dear Second in Command for this little scientist? I am sure that she would cooperate with your interrogations more willingly than that treacherous seeker."

"I... must think this through... Megatron." Optimus said hesitantly. "Give me some minutes."

"Don't delay yourself too much. I might change my opinion." The Warlord replied, shaking again his fist and making the human whimper.

"Optimus, I saw that woman in the few video files I could extract from Starscream's data banks. She was always in the lab with the seeker. She worked every day, she was a slave. I saw her making very complex calculus, she was helping Starscream to build a new Allspark. She must be very smart, and she must know very sensitive information. She has lived among the Decepticons for five months, I'm sure she can give us the location of their base too." Ratchet told him.

"Megatron don't usually care much about his Second in Command. He must need Starscream, you know he was a great scientist before the war... I don't wish to sacrifice a human civil, but if it is to save the rest of humankind, maybe it would be the lesser of two evils." Optimus said, his voice heavy with sadness. Ratchet gave him a sympathetic look.

"You did it for Sam when the Fallen put price to his head in all the TV channels..." The Medic said sternly. "And you did the right thing, Optimus."

The Autobot Leader reflected on the medic's words before running a servo down his helm.

"What was I thinking, Ratchet? What has this war done to us? First I make you hack Starscream and now I was about to condemn an innocent..." He was ashamed of himself.

"Don't worry Optimus. I know you were thinking in the lesser evil. I don't blame you." Ratchet said reassuringly.

"I am not known for my patience, Optimus." Megatron's voice came from the monitor.

"We will cooperate, Megatron. When can we meet?" Optimus said, appearing again on the screen.

"In one hour. I'll send the coordinates."

"That's too far... We can't be there in one hour-"

"Then start _rolling out_ or picking a flying alt-mode!" Megatron cut off the connection.

* * *

><p>"And you will not have time to continue fragging my Air Commander!" The Warlord added as the connection was cut, slamming his free fist on the desk.<p>

Eleonor gave him a sorrowful look.

"Soundwave, Sir. Could you please erase any sensitive information from my phone?" She asked. The blue mech approached her and took the little device into his wires. He began to erase all the schematics, the contact list and the pictures.

Shockwave stared at the scene in silence. The smart human had succeeded in making herself useful once again.

"Soundwave, Shockwave, you are coming with me." Megatron ordered. "Human, you will prolong your performance as long as you can to give us time to finish the new Allspark." She nodded in response. "And when you blow your cover, tell Optimus that he had made a grave mistake."

"Yes, my Lord." She replied, narrowing her eyes with complicity.

Megatron chuckled darkly and looked to the woman, his ruby glare piercing through her.

"I think I'm starting to realize what my Second in Command saw in you, human."

* * *

><p>::Unidentified aircraft, you are invading airspace property of the United States of America. Please, identify yourself and desist-zzzhhhhhss:: The transmission faded into static and abruptly ended as Soundwave hacked and fritzed the computers at the control tower.<p>

Three unidentified aircrafts flew across the landscape, their engines roaring. Two of them had unique Cybertronian designs. One was metal grey and the other was purplish-black. The third aircraft was dark blue and silver, and looked like a cross between a satellite and a plane.

"You sure don't bother to keep a low profile..." Eleonor murmured. She was travelling inside Shockwave. He didn't have a proper cockpit, because of his Cybertronian design, it was more like an empty space to hold things, and didn't have a transparent glass cover, but he had a holographic screen inside so the young woman could see the landscape and she wasn't in complete darkness.

"Never needed it before..." He replied absently.

"Do you think.. Starscream would be alright?" She asked softly.

"He's a tough guy. Don't worry about him. He's had far worse." He reassured. "Are you sure you will be fine with the Autobots?"

"Megatron needs Starscream to complete the Allspark. It's the only way you can save your race and restore your planet. If this is the only way I can help you, so be it."

"Your level of care is illogical."

"I can't help it, I'm like that. I care too much about everything, and I'm sure one day that is going to lead me to my doom." She facepalmed. "Besides, you heard Optimus, he is a softie." She chuckled lightly. "I doubt he will harm me."

"It's not the Autobots that I worry about. Their human allies could... take reprisals if you don't cooperate."

"Well, I have survived the wrath of Lord Megatron. What can be worse?" She smiled.

"You are crazy, woman. Too brave or too crazy, I don't know."

"Shockwave..." She said hesitantly.

"That's wrong?"

"I know all this didn't start precisely in good terms... but I am going to miss you all. Could you please say good-bye to the others for me? And Starscream, of course. I won't be able to say good-bye to him either if I don't want to ruin my cover."

Shockwave was in stunned silence for some seconds before replying. He didn't necessarily understand the human's reasoning, but he decided it didn't hurt to make her feel better.

"Of course I will." He said, his deep voice rumbling through the cabin. "We are going to land. I'll keep you here until the Autobots arrive. Do your best performance when they show up."

"I'll do my best."

* * *

><p>::Jazz, put in contact with Secretary Keller and inform him of the situation. Tell him not to engage with any unidentified aircraft.:: The Autobot Leader ordered through the comm. link.<p>

::Ah'm workin' on it!::

Forty-five minutes later, they were arriving to the meeting point. The Decepticons, at least, had the courtesy to meet them on a desolated area of the Nevada desert. The barren landscape offered no cover, but also nowhere to hide soldiers for both factions, and no human settlements. He could make out in the distance Megatron, flanked by Soundwave and Shockwave. The last one still in jet mode.

Optimus, for his part was accompanied by Ironhide and Ratchet, in case there was a battle. The Autobot Leader was pulling a trailer, with a barely-conscious-Starscream inside it.

"I can't believe we are doing this..." The weapons specialist complained.

They came to a halt and Optimus disengaged himself from the trailer and transformed. Ironhide and Ratchet did the same. The black mech instantly unsheathed both cannons and on-lined his weapon capacitors.

"Tell your dog to keep quiet, Prime." Megatron said, crossing his arms over his broad chest-plates. "Don't test my patience on the day I decide to choose the diplomatic way." The Decepticon Leader glared daggers at them. "Well, where is my Second in Command?"

Optimus opened the trailer and helped the seeker to stand up. Then, he threw the key to his stasis cuffs in front of the Decepticon Warlord.

"He had his weapons deactivated and he is running low on energon, but he'll live." The Autobot Leader said.

"You forgot to mention a raping attempt, slagger." The seeker huffed, trying very hard not to sound as weak as he felt.

"Where is your hostage?" Optimus asked, ignoring the beige jet's taunting remarks.

Starscream stared in stunned silence as Shockwave's cockpit opened and revealed the panicked form of Eleonor, screaming and kicking in the air as the Decepticon Warlord grabbed her harshly.

"Silence, human. Don't push your luck." Megatron ordered. The human girl whimpered and stood very still, tears running down her cheeks. "Release him." He ordered.

Optimus narrowed his optics with suspicion, but released Starscream. The seeker stood in the same place, unable to move for some seconds until Soundwave silently pinged him. He was intently looking at him through his visor, and gave him an almost imperceptible nod.

Megatron put the human on the ground. She stumbled and fell.

"Go away, pest!" He stomped a foot right behind her. She screamed. The Autobots flinched. Starscream tried very hard not to flinch. What was Megatron doing with _his_ human?

She scrambled to her feet and started to walk hesitantly to the Autobots. She couldn't help but glance at Starscream, and her heart skipped a beat. He was in far worse condition than that time at the Nemesis' med-bay. He looked like if he was about to drop to the ground at any moment, his outer armor badly damaged, many wires cut and sparkling. She grimaced involuntarily. What had the Autobots done to him? How dared them?!

"Don't worry, Miss Eleonor. We are not the enemy. I am Optimus Prime, Leader of the Autobots. We are allies of your leaders and have sworn to protect humankind. I promise you will be safe."

She glanced back one last time, and to Starscream, tears running down her cheeks. They were not fake tears. Not anymore. She started running towards the Autobots.

Starscream was staring dumbfounded at his Leader, now that the Autobots couldn't see his face-plates.

"...What-"

"Silence, useless glitch-head." Megatron backhanded the seeker, cutting him mid-sentence.

Soundwave pinged him repeatedly.

"Can you fly?" The Warlord asked.

"I think I'll manage..."

"Good. Let's go." He freed him from his stasis cuffs. ::I'll explain everything later, Starscream.:: He added through the comm. link.

They transformed and took off.

Eleonor stared at them as they disappeared into the distance until the deep voice of the Autobot Leader pulled her from her thoughts.

"I know you are scared, but I assure you, not all Cybertronians are like that. Would you be so kind to accompany us to our base, so you can be properly treated by a doctor? I am sure you have had quite an adventure." Optimus told her, trying to sound as reassuring as he could.

"Uh... well... I suppose I have no other options..." She hesitated.

"We won't retain you in our base if you don't wish to." He transformed. He was a Peterbilt truck with a custom paint-job with blue and red flames. His companions were a black GMC Topkick and a neon green Hummer rescue ambulance.

"So much for the low profile" Eleonor thought as she climbed with shaky hands to the colorful truck.

"Please, make yourself comfortable." Optimus said.

She took seat and stood very still. The seat-belt glided and buckled itself. She flinched.

"I am afraid your law dictates that you must use this." He apologized, his deep voice coming from nowhere in particular.

"Just... warn me the next time, please, Sir."

"You can call me Optimus. Do not worry about formalities."

"...Thank you, Optimus." She gave a weak smile, but inside her, she was still worried. They departed to the Autobot base.


	16. Autobots

Chapter 16: Autobots

"I can't believe this! I turn my back just one day and you get rid of my human assistant! How dare you?!" Starscream hissed indignantly once they were safe at the Nemesis.

"Starscream, report to the med-bay." Megatron calmly replied, ignoring the seeker's complaints.

"I'm fine!" He huffed. "That human was mine! You gave her to me!"

Megatron scowled at the seeker and was about to let the rage consume him when Soundwave intervened.

_/Do you think that being Starscream's pet allows you to show up without an invitation at the control bridge? I don't have time for this._

_Please! Exchange me for Starscream!_

_You have ten seconds to explain yourself._

_Starscream told me once that the Autobots were a bunch of softies that could not stand a single human casualty, especially their Leader. You need Starscream to complete the Allspark. He was very close. Exchange me for him. Tell the Autobots that I also know many sensitive information what I will give them willingly. I think it's worth a try./_

The beige mech went silent.

"I know that you are very possessive about your pet, but you must know that this was her idea. She wanted you to finish the Allspark to save our race and Cybertron." It was Shockwave now who had spoken.

Starscream was shaking with contained fury, his fists balled tightly into fists. The words have left him.

"Now, go to the med-bay. Your trine-mates are there too. They didn't escape unharmed either." The Decepticon Leader said grimly.

The beige seeker's spark went cold as he remembered the dreadful fireworks. Thundercracker had been badly hit, and he didn't know if Skywarp had managed to get out of the battle unharmed. He turned and exited the bridge, heading for the med-bay.

* * *

><p><em>[Nevada. N.E.S.T. base of operations.]<em>

"We have arrived, Miss Eleonor." Optimus informed, coming to a halt. Eleonor peeked through the windows. The Autobot base consisted basically in several hangars built together in the middle of a barren landscape. "You can climb down."

"Alright." She said shyly. She was determined to perform the innocent victim role to perfection. She will make Megatron proud, she told herself.

Once she was on the ground, Optimus recoiled a little and transformed. He was almost as tall as Megatron, but the Decepticon Leader was bulkier. Ironhide and Ratchet remained in alt-form beside them.

"Optimus! Are you alright?" A boy shouted from the gates of the closest hangar.

"We were very worried about that Decepti-creeps!" A girl added.

They were sitting on each shoulder of a yellow Autobot. They were approaching slowly, the yellow mech was being extra-careful with the precious cargo on his shoulder-plates.

"Miss Eleonor, I want you to meet Mikaela Banes and Sam Witwicky, and this is their guardian, Bumblebee." The yellow mech made a beeping noise in greetings. "Bumblebee's vocalizer was damaged in battle, so he usually communicates through recordings of your radio broadcasts."

Eleonor recoiled a little and hid partially behind Optimus' right foot.

"Humm... Hi..." She said with a tiny voice.

"Oh my god! Poor thing! The Decepticons had her scared to death! She must have some sort of trauma by now, I mean, five months living among the Decepticons, I would have gone nuts myself too!" Sam started to rant.

"SAM! You are not helping, shut up!" Mikaela reprimanded him. The boy shut his mouth, realizing the worried look on Eleonor's face. "Could you put me down, please 'Bee?" The yellow mech obeyed. "Come on, you will be alright. The mechs around here are actually very nice, except Ironhide maybe." The black topkick revved his engine in protest. She giggled. "Just teasing, 'Hide!"

"Hey, Eleonor, do you want us to give you a tour around the base?" Sam suggested.

"Uh... I suppose..." She replied meekly.

"Come on!" Mikaela said cheerfully.

* * *

><p><em>[Nemesis' med-bay.]<em>

"Oww... Where am I...?" Thundercracker moaned as he slowly came out of recharge. Then, the memory of the latest events rushed in his sluggish processors. "Skywarp! Starscream!"

"Shh, we are here, we are fine, don't worry." Came the voice of Skywarp, in a reassuring tone. He was sitting in the next berth.

"You were out for a good time, TC. That blast hit you badly. How are you feeling?" Starscream asked, standing next to the blue mech's berth.

"I feel as if a supernova just exploded in my face-plates..." He rubbed his forehelm. "Starscream, what happened to you? You look badly beaten up." Thundercracker asked with concern.

The beige mech frowned and looked away. The last memories were too painful to remember.

"And were is little Eleonor? Knowing how she cares about everyone it is strange not to see her here..." Skywarp added.

Starscream could not look at his trine-mates. His spark ached. Skywarp and Thundercracker exchanged worried glances.

"What happened, Starscream... Tell us, please..." The black mech asked again, his tone unusually soft and concerned.

"The Autobots captured me. They tried to... hack me. They almost succeeded... Eleonor... she offered herself in exchange of me. Optimus agreed, thinking that she would tell them sensitive information about what we were doing in here..." He replied with bitterness in his voice.

Thundercracker was too stunned to speak.

"THOSE SLAGGERS!" Skywarp was the first one to regain the ability to speak. "I am going to blast them all!"

"No, 'Warp." The beige mech shook his head.

"But she is your human! What if the Autobots get mad with her?!" He whined in protest.

"Skywarp." Starscream called him, his tone soft, but commanding. The black mech quieted. "The Autobots will not harm her. She is safe. She was the one who came up with this idea so that I could finish the new Allspark, and I am not going to waste the chance she has given us." He said, his tone very serious.

"And when the Allspark is finished?" Thundercracker asked, a knowing look in his optics.

"Then I am going to program an override code for the jamming signal that the Autobots used against us." He narrowed his optics to a thin line. "And I am going to pay them a _visit_..." He added, his voice lowered to a dangerous hiss.

* * *

><p><em>[Nevada. N.E.S.T. base of operations.]<em>

"And this are the human-sized quarters! I hope you enjoyed the visit." Mikaela said cheerfully.

"Thank you. You three have been very kind." Eleonor said, with a shy smile. The first thing she noticed about the Autobots was their choice of colors. While most Decepticons preferred dull colours like black, grey, dark blue or even polished metal without a paint-job, the Autobots were actually very colorful, even their Leader had a custom blue and red flame design. The shapes of their armor plates were rounded, unlike the Decepticons, that usually had sharp edges or even spikes, and while the Decepticons usually had red optics, the Autobots had them blue.

"Oh, there you are. I have been looking for you, Miss Eleonor." A neon green mech said, appearing around a corner.

"How can I help you?" Eleonor asked softly. The green mech started to laugh in amusement.

"Sorry, Miss. Actually, _I_ was hoping to help _you_, not the other way around. I am Ratchet, the Autobot's Medical Officer. I have also been extensively studying every human medical publication, and I am qualified enough to function as a human doctor." He explained.

"Oh..."

"Ratchet! You scared her!" Mikaela scolded Ratchet before turning to smile at Eleonor. "Don't worry sweetie. He just wants to help. Not practice surgery. Despite his rather blunt way of giving news."

"I apologize." Ratchet sighed, trying to keep his temper in check and look kind so that he didn't scare the woman. "Miss Eleonor, I was worried about your physical condition after five months of living among the Decepticons. I would like to run some tests on you."

"Ratchet! You made it sound as if you are going to treat her like a lab rat!" Mikaela complained again. Ratchet gave an aggravated sigh through his vents.

"Humm... Actually, I don't mind it. It is very understandable." Eleonor intervened.

"Hah!" The medic snorted triumphantly to Mikaela. "Someone appreciates my job at last!"

"And why is it that Ironhide is always running away from your med-bay with wrenches flying over his head?" Sam asked with feigned concern.

"Sam! Not you too!" Mikaela groaned again.

But Eleonor was actually giggling at the mental image of the big menacing black topkick running away from the medic. The two boys stared at her dumbfounded.

"Well, she at least remembers how to laugh. That's a great step." Sam smiled.

"I am sorry." She said, trying to suppress the giggles. Sure thing these Autobots cared for humans. Too much for their own good, she thought. "I've had worse lately, believe me. I am sure I can survive a medical check-up." She smiled and looked to the Autobot medic. "I'll follow you."

"This way." He started to walk. "Sam, Mikaela, do you want to come too? I am sure Miss Eleonor could use some human company." Ratchet offered.

"Of course." They replied in unison.

Two minutes later, they were at the Autobot's med-bay. Ratchet offered a hand, and put her very carefully on a berth to be in eye level with her.

"Are you externally damaged, or are you in any kind of pain?"

"No. Maybe a couple of minor bruises, Megatron picked me a little bit harshly, but it's nothing important, I assure you." She replied. Sam and Mikaela grimaced when they heard about the Decepticon Warlord picking her.

"Good thing. You are very brave..." He said encouragingly. "Now, I would need a blood sample." Ratchet produced a scary looking hypodermic needle. The needle part was actually human sized, but the handle was adapted to Cybertronian hands.

"Uhh... do you have any standard human sized needles?" She asked, a little usettled.

"Actually, yes, but I can't use them properly..."

"Give one to me, please."

Ratchet obeyed, and stared in astonishment as the young woman applied herself a tourniquet and with expert, efficient hands extracted her own blood sample.

"Here you go." She handed him the sample. Ratchet went to the diagnostics machine.

"Woah." Sam stared at her in wonder. "You're auto-sufficient."

"I have some basic medical training."

"What training do you have?" The Autobot medic asked curious.

"I am a biologist, but I know a little about many other things. Science and medicine mostly."

"Woah, a bookworm." Sam chuckled. Mikaela elbowed him immediately in the ribs.

Eleonor giggled a little remembering that 'bookworm' had been the same adjective that Frenzy had found for her.

"Don't tell me there are only silly teenagers and brainwashed soldiers around here..." She said, teasing a little.

"And stubborn government liaisons." Ratchet answered indignantly.

"Woah, I think I'll better come back with the Decepticons." She teased with a playful smile, but inside her, she was grieving.

"No way!" Sam and Mikaela exclaimed in unison.

"Hush you two." The medic said, reviewing the outcoming data from the diagnosis machine. "The results of the blood analysis are perfect." He said in disbelief. "How could you be so healthy?"

"Like Sam kindly pointed out, I am a bookworm. I know what a human being needs to eat to be healthy, and I know the food that contains it. I scheduled myself a diet. I listed all the supplies I needed and the Decepticons bought them monthly."

"How in hell did they do that?" Sam wondered, with the mental image of Megatron doing the shopping, trolley and all.

"I suppose they just ordered it by Internet and Skywarp teleported in and out to pick the supplies. They were actually very happy that I could take care of myself from that moment on. You know, like a pet that can cook, eat and clean for herself." She replied happily.

"Fascinating." Ratchet intervened. "I must admit that Sam and Mikaela need constant attention when they are at the base paying us a visit."

"Hey!" Sam said indignantly, but he knew it was almost true.

"Ratchet, Sir..." Eleonor started to say.

"Just Ratchet." He stopped her.

"Ratchet... I must admit that I am rather exhausted from everything that has happened lately. I really could use some rest." She asked politely.

"Of course! How thoughtless of me. I'll take you to your designated quarters right away. They are next to Mikaela and Sam's, so in case you need something, you can tell them."

"Thank you very much."

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, Eleonor was alone in her designated quarters. It was nice to have a bit of tranquility and peace just for her. She tried to put her thoughts in order. The day had turned out to be quite odd.<p>

That same morning she had been in the Decepticon warship. Now, at the Autobot base. But thanks to that, Starscream was safe now.

"Poor Starscream..." She thought, remembering his badly damaged frame.

She didn't like the Autobots. Not that they weren't nice. Actually, for them, the Decepticons were the bad guys. But living among the supposed enemy for so long could have changed her perception of good and wrong. Maybe she was not being enough objective. And been objective was essential to be a good scientist.

She sighed and shook her head. No. She was not going to doubt Starscream's word. Never. He himself had admitted that the Decepticons were not good guys in general, he had been honest about that. Megatron had been maddened by the Fallen, causing the war, but now things were different. The Decepticons were no longer lusting for war. They just wanted to go back home and save their planet. Their race. That was why they wanted to construct the new Allspark.

Eleonor let herself drop onto the bed. The Autobots. The Decepticons. They were the same race. From the same planet. Megatron wanted Starscream back. He was about to launch an attack. But at the chance of a diplomatic solution he had taken it gladly.

"Megatron didn't want to cause more Cybertronian deaths. No matter that they were Autobots." She realized. He didn't like them, but he didn't want to extinguish them either.

Maybe she should give the Autobots a chance to explain themselves. To learn about their version of the story.

"And I better come out with a good excuse for not telling them anything about the Decepticons. I know they are going to ask sooner or later. They are just giving me some time because they don't want to scare me more than I already seem to be." She thought, rolling on the bed.

"Arhg, I can't sleep!" She groaned, looking up the time in her phone. It was 21:05.

She sighed and got out of the bed. "Maybe I can have some dinner."

* * *

><p>A while later she was at the dining hall. It was an ample hangar with long tables and benches. In one corner were Sam, Mikaela and their guardian, Bumblebee, chatting animatedly while the yellow Autobot played radio recordings. Those three seemed to be always together.<p>

"Hi Eleonor!" Sam said.

"Hello, kids." She saluted, coming closer.

"You can't sleep?" Mikaela asked.

"No..." Eleonor replied, with a shake of her head. "I thought that eating something could help me to sleep. Have you had dinner yet?"

"Yes, I am sorry, Eleonor."

"Aww... " She whined. "What a day...Well, no matter..." She tried to compose herself again. "Where is the kitchen, I'll make myself something quick."

"Follow us, we'll help you." Mikaela said with a friendly smile.

...But they didn't have the opportunity to help much. Eleonor inspected the fridges and began to pick up ingredients, cutting them with efficiency and minutes later she had prepared a beautiful salad. They went out again to the dining hall so that Bumblebee didn't have to wait alone.

"I see that you three are very good friends." She observed, as she started her dinner.

"Yeah, we have been through a lot together. Good things and bad things." Mikaela said with a small smile. The yellow Autobot leaned closer and the girl patted his arm-plates with affection. "And we don't regret one single moment." She added.

"I am curious. How did you meet?" Eleonor asked.

"You could say... I bought the wrong car..." Sam said sheepisly.

Bumblebee beeped and whined with indignation.

"The _right_ car! I meant I bought the _right_ car!" He managed to say between laughs.

"And you? How did you end up with the Decepticreeps?" Mikaela asked.

"Well... you could say... I took the _right_ plane..." Eleonor answered.

"Ah, I understand... that means the _wrong_ plane." Sam said with a knowing look. "How did they treat you?"

"They were scary... but they wanted me alive, so they didn't physically harm me."

"And psychologically?" Mikaela asked with concern.

"A couple of insults here and there. Nothing I could not survive, don't worry." The young woman replied. It was almost true.

"The Autobots are really nice. You'll see." The girl said reassuringly.

Eleonor nodded absently and gave a tired yawn, her salad finished by then.

"Well, I think I'll go back to my room and try to catch up with some sleep. See you tomorrow!"

"Bye Eleonor!"


	17. Questions

Chapter 17: Questions

Starscream, despite not been fully recovered, was already working in the lab. He didn't want to waste any time. Three days have passed since the incident, and the new Allspark was almost finished. Its energy signature had been tuned with the fragment, and all that was left to do was imbue it with energon. Soundwave had the Nemesis very close to the surface, and the algae were working at full capacity. It would not be too long until the new Cube was finished.

The lab's door opened unexpectedly, distracting the seeker from his thoughts.

"Starscream." The Decepticon Leader greeted him.

"Lord Megatron."

"How... are you?" The Warlord asked slowly, as he took a seat close to the seeker.

"The new Allspark is almost finished. I think it needs only a couple of days more."

"Those are very good news to hear, but I was asking about _you_." The Warlord clarified with his stern voice.

"I'll be fine... nothing that Scalpel can't fix." The seeker said, looking away.

"Scalpel is a skilled medic. But he can't fix everything." Megatron said, a knowing look in his optics. "And I know far too well when you lie to me, Starscream."

The beige seeker huffed.

"Just stop talking in circles. I don't have the patience right now." Starscream felt the rage building inside him. "What do you want from me?"

The Decepticon Warlord gathered his thoughts for some moments before speaking.

"I _don't_ want you to _do_ anything stupid." He said slowly. "That's all."

Starscream sighed in defeat.

"Who told you?"

"Scalpel."

"Little glitch." The seeker murmured.

"Starscream."

"..."

"I know you have taken a liking to your little pet."

"She's mine. I won't let the Autobots have her."

"The Autobots don't hurt humans."

"But she won't be able to keep her cover forever. And when they find out, what? Are they going to let her go unharmed? Or lock her up just in case she is a menace? I won't let that happen." Starscream was resolute about that. "Look, I don't care about human race. They all can rot in hell, but that woman has helped us far too much. She's... an _ally_. It's like a... debt of honor... I just can't leave her like this."

Megatron was in silence some minutes until he spoke again.

"When the Allspark is finished we are going back to Cybertron. The Nemesis' space-bridge is functional once again."

"Then go. Claim our planet back and save it. You won't need me anymore." Starscream said with bitterness in his voice.

"I want my Second in Command by my side when we come back triumphantly and save our race." Megatron replied with honesty, surprising the seeker with the seriousness of his voice.

"..."

"And you know you can't take your human with us. She would die in within minutes under Cybertron's atmosphere."

Starscream snarled and slammed a fist on the desk in frustration.

"I want to go back to Cybertron too! But I can't leave her here in enemy hands! I just can't!"

Megatron raised from his seat and made his way towards the lab's exit, stopping by the doorframe to give his Second in Command one last glance.

"Don't do anything stupid, Starscream."

* * *

><p><em>[Nevada, N.E.S.T. base of operations.]<em>

"What do you mean by 'I can't tell you anything'?"

"Just that. I can't tell you any valuable information."

The special agent Galloway, liaison to the Autobot Embassy, massaged the bridge of his nose, trying to remain calm.

"I think that you don't understand the gravity of the situation here, madam. It's not like you can make use of the Fifth Amendment." He told her.

"Why not?"

"There are many lives in danger. The Decepticons are a very powerful enemy. For our security, they must be destroyed. The future of the human race is at risk. Why don't you understand?" Galloway was losing his patience.

"I understand it quite well, Galloway. And because of that, I cannot say anything to you or the Autobots. I am sorry."

"We captured the Decepticon Starscream. My reports say that he is Megatron's Second in Command. He was a valuable strategic target, a very dangerous, vicious and smart mech. I lost the lives of many soldiers to capture him. And we exchanged him for _you._ Are you telling me that we are going to gain _nothing_ from this exchange?"

"I'm afraid not." She was resolute.

"We have proof that you were forced to work for the Decepticons, because you had skills that were useful for them. Are you telling me that you didn't learn any sensitive information that you could tell us?"

"Oh, I did."

"But you are not telling us."

"Exactly."

Galloway slammed a fist down the desk Eleonor was sitting at. She didn't even flinch.

"You will be considered a traitor to the United States of America!" He threatened.

"That's funny. I'm not even American."

"Well, that's actually a good thing." He said with a sadistic smile. "You are not leaving this room until you tell us something valuable to help us destroy your Decepticon friends." Galloway hissed, and then he stormed out of the room.

Eleonor was left alone in the big room with Optimus and Ratchet, who had witnessed all the questioning, but had remained very silent.

She glanced up at them, and then back to the desk with a resigned sigh.

"I am sorry, Optimus."

The Autobot Leader remained in silence for a long moment before speaking with his deep voice.

"I don't approve of agent Galloway's methods. But I must admit that I am very disappointed with all this situation..." He sighed through his vents. "I am fine with you if you don't want to tell us anything, but at least, I would like to hear a reason." He said with a grim expression.

Eleonor looked at the Autobot Leader in contemplative silence.

"Lord Megatron gave me a message for you... He told me to tell you... that you had made a grave mistake."

"The Megatron I know caused a war that has consumed our world and nearly destroyed yours. He has killed many mechs and humans. He has done horrible things in his lust for war. And it was my fault for not killing him when I had the chance." He replied with seriousness.

"The Megatron I know was ready to launch an attack on your base to rescue his Second in Command. I saw the soldiers ready. I saw their weapons. But when I gave him the idea of solving this in a diplomatic way, he took it gladly."

"You offered yourself?"

"Yes." She nodded grimly. "I don't expect you to understand it now, but I want you to know one thing: I am not helping the Autobots or the Decepticons. I want to help the Cybertronian race." Optimus looked at her intently. "That is all I can tell you, Optimus Prime. I am very sorry."

The Autobot Leader stood in silence for some seconds, and then he exited the room. Only Ratchet was now there, scowling at her.

"It's not necessary that you remain here to guard me, Ratchet. I am in a secret base, full of military personnel, in the middle of nowhere. I don't intend to run away." She sighed in defeat.

After a while, the medic crouched to be closer to her.

"When Starscream was here, I hacked into his processors." He said bluntly.

"I... I am not familiar with that term applied to your race..."

"It's a horrible procedure, and I hate to use it, but I was following orders. Hacking a mech's processors is used to access any sensitive information hidden in his mind that he won't tell us in an interrogation. It is necessary in this war times when so much is at stake, but I still hate it. A hack is a terrible thing to do... and it is the closer to a rape that you could do to a mech, to put it in human terms."

Eleonor stared at Ratchet wide-eyed.

"You.. _hacked_... Starscream...?" Her voice was trembling. The medic nodded slowly.

"I only did it in order to protect the Autobots and your kind."

"Why are you telling me this?" She stared at the medic in stunned silence.

"The data in our hard drives is divided in three types of files: video, audio and emotion files, associated to each other. The emotions are the most intimate part of a mech's mind, but they are _not_ the most useful in a hack for sensitive information, because they are very subjective. The most important are the video and audio files. Starscream was very weakened then, but his mind turned furiously to protect his emotion files, leaving the video files (the most sensitive) more vulnerable. I could only extract some of the most recent video files before I cut the connection."

"If you found something sensitive, why didn't you tell Optimus?" She asked with resentment.

"Starscream was working on a new Allspark, that's the only useful information I could find to tell Optimus. But today, as you began to seem resolute about not giving us any more information, I decided to review the extracted files, just in case I missed something useful. And I realized that Starscream had been watching you very closely. While you were working. When you climbed up his hand and seated, just content to be there. When you looked back at him, trusting, smiling. You looked honestly happy in those memories." He paused to let that sank. "He _cared_ about you. I could see that clearly."

Eleonor's composure finally shattered and tears fell from her eyes before she could stop them.

"And I realize now that you also care for him if you were willing to sacrifice yourself to save him." Ratchet added.

"I hate you." She hissed. "Leave me alone."

Ratchet glanced at her one last time, and exited the room.


	18. Stupid

Chapter 18: Stupid

::Lord Megatron::

::I'm listening, Starscream::

::Please, come to the laboratory::

Well, that was new. His Second in Command saying 'please'. But many things had changed recently. He went to the lab, accompanied by Soundwave.

"It is finished." The beige seeker said as the warlord and the communications officer walked into the lab. Floating in a pedestal in front of him, was the Cube. Megatron stared at his Second in Command with wide-optics, and then to the new Allspark. Even Soundwave stood more still than usual.

"Have you tried it?"

"I was waiting for you." He had been waiting for this moment for so long, and now he was not sure of what to do.

"That can we use?" The Decepticon Leader asked.

"An empty protoform or any electronic device. We could also bring back from the Well of Sparks a deceased mech. Like Scalpel did with you, using the fragment some time ago." The beige mech answered.

Megatron thought about his options for some seconds.

"Brawl." He said simply. Starscream flinched slightly. Brawl was Megatron's personal weapon of mass destruction. He liked to keep things simple: Megatron pointed with a servo, and Brawl fired his cannons. Loyal and stupid. He had been off-lined during the battle in the human city.

"Brawl's location: med-bay's storage. Status: salvaged for spare parts." Soundwave informed.

"Let's go." Megatron commanded, as he took the new Allspark with him and made his way towards the exit, his Second and Third in Command trailing close behind.

Two minutes later, they were at the med-bay. Scalpel jumped and blinked in surprise as he saw the higher ranks of the Decepticons rushing into his domain.

"Where is the body of Brawl, Scalpel?" The Decepticon Leader asked before the medic could ask anything.

"H-he is there, just behind that door." He pointed to the storage room. "What do you have there? It is very similar to the... Allspark..." He watched as Megatron entered the aforementioned room and approached the body of the deceased mech.

The Warlord raised the Cube, and called for its power. Its surface began to change like a puzzle, and tendrils of energy emanated from it, reaching for the body of Brawl. The deceased mech jerked and on-lined his optics suddenly, his combat sub-routines running back to life and his weapon capacitors whining as they loaded. Soundwave and Starscream quickly grabbed both of his arms to pin him down.

"Brawl! Desist!" The Decepticon Leader commanded sternly.

"Lord Megatron, the Autobots...!" He stopped dead as he took in his surroundings "Wait, where am I?"

"Check your internal chronometer, you glitch-head!" Starscream shouted.

"Wh...Wha?" Brawl had never been very eloquent.

"You were off-lined."

"Oh... I realize..." Brawl was calming down slowly. Then he noticed the Cube in Megatron's servos. "And you revive me now using the Allspark's power. I see that we won the war for the Cube! What a pity I lost the chance of scrapping some Autobots in the process..."

"No, Brawl. We lost. And the Cube was destroyed." Starscream corrected him.

"But.. I can't understand..."

"This is a _new_ Allspark that Starscream has just created. The original one was destroyed. The first thing we have done with our new Allspark has been bringing you back to life." The Decepticon Warlord explained.

"I am honored, Master... All hail Megatron!" Brawl shouted with joy. Starscream rolled his optics. "What is your command, Master? Do you want me to destroy the remaining Autobots or the puny humans?"

"No. No. I want you to stay here at the med-bay for a complete check-up. You have been off-line for too long, and you may still have some internal damage. And while Scalpel is checking you up, I want you to read _very carefully_ this report explaining all that has happened while you were gone." Megatron ordered, as he sent Brawl a report via comm. link.

"Yes, my Lord."

"Good. When you are done, go to the rec. room and have some fun. The rest of the troops would like to see a fallen comrade back with them." He added, and exited the med-bay, followed by Starscream and Soundwave.

Once the door of the med-bay was closed, Megatron turned to face his Second and Third in Command.

"Soundwave, prepare the Nemesis for departure and lock the space-bridge onto Cybertron's coordinates. We are leaving as soon as we can."

"Affirmative."

"Starscream." The beige mech looked away. "You have done a great job. I am pleased." The seeker felt his spark warm up a little. Megatron had never complimented his efforts before. "But _please_, don't do anything stupid."

"No, Lord Megatron." Starscream face-plates were set in a grim expression.

"Dismissed." The Warlord finalized.

The beige mech left them, heading for his quarters with a gloomy aura.

"Disobedience probabilities: 83.7%." Soundwave stated, once the seeker was out of audio range.

Megatron groaned in exasperation.

* * *

><p>Eleonor had spent the last days in her own quarters or the questioning room. The same questions every day, with the same answers. The news of her refusal to cooperate seemed to have spread across the base, because no human or Autobot spoke to her anymore. They just looked at her with disdain from the distance. Even Sam and Mikaela had given her the cold shoulder.<p>

She sighed and ran a hand through her curly hair. "This is torture." She thought. "I wish I still had my smartphone to listen to some music." She regretted. The Autobots had taken away her phone to scan it in case the Decepticons had put something dangerous or useful in it. Of course they didn't find anything, because Soundwave had erased its memory, but they had not given her the device back. She let herself drop onto the bed with a defeated aura.

"I wonder what are the Decepticons up to at the moment. Maybe they finished the Allspark and they are back in Cybertron by now. I really wish that."

The door of her room opened suddenly, and Galloway stormed in.

"What is the meaning of this?!" He demanded. He was holding out her phone.

"It is a smartphone..."

"I already know what it is! What I want to know is the meaning of this message that has just arrived." He gave her the phone.

She looked to the screen. It was showing a message. It had no sender. The contents of the message were a word and two images. The word was 'success'. And the images...

Eleonor burst in giggles suddenly.

"What happens now, woman? What does it mean?" He asked, his patience evaporating.

"Seriously, this is too obvious... I can't believe it." She managed to regain her composure. "What is this drawing, Galloway?" She held out the phone showing the first picture.

"A star."

"And this one?" She showed him the second image, it was a famous expressionist painting from Edvard Munch.

"..."

"Really? You don't know this famous painting? Come on... I am sure you must be a smart guy if you have such an important government job..."

"... I can't remember it now." He huffed.

"Well... this painting is from Edvard Munch, and its title is... _The Scream_." She smiled. Galloway's eyes widened.

Suddenly, a deafening explosion could be heard from outside the base.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean 'you can't find him'? The Nemesis has not surfaced since yesterday, and he was here yesterday!"<p>

"I don't know, Lord Megatron. The last time I saw him, he was in our quarters, picking up some devices and ammo... I didn't give it much importance..." A dumbfounded Thundercracker replied.

"Did you summon me, Lord Megatron?" Skywarp had just entered the control bridge.

"Skywarp..." Megatron narrowed his optics as he glared at the black seeker. "Do you have any idea of where my _dear_ Second in Command could be?"

"I don't know, my Lord." Skywarp replied with concern.

"Are you sure? Because the Nemesis has not surfaced since yesterday, and the only way out would be _teleporting..._"

"I am telling the truth! I don't-"

"Waste disposal bay status: hacked. Lockgate status: malfunctioning." Soundwave said suddenly, who had been very carefully checking every terminal in the Nemesis' control bridge.

"That stupid seeker is going to be the death of me!" Megatron roared. "When I put my hands on him I am going to weld his wings together!"

* * *

><p>"Why didn't we detect him in our scanners?!" Ironhide barked while shooting at the beige jet that was soaring above them.<p>

"He must have been using a cloaking device, it's very a very common Decepticon technology." Optimus replied as he fired his own blasts at the enemy.

But the seeker kept easily dodging every shot, circling the Autobot base high above them, out of their reach. Every now and then he fired a null-ray blast to the ground, near the place Optimus and Ironhide were taking cover behind a concrete wall. The blue and red mech had ordered the humans at base to take cover in an underground bunker. Only the Autobots were outside at the moment.

"This is very strange, Ironhide..." The Autobot Leader said suddenly.

"Yes, he has gone definitely mad... Attacking an Autobot base alone... And he must be blind or something because he keeps missing all his shots by far! Or maybe he just wants to be fragged again by Ratchet!" The black topkick snarled, shooting again a row of machine-gun fire over the beige jet.

"Hold your fire, Ironhide." Optimus ordered.

"What the _frag_ are you ta-"

"Starscream _never_ misses. These are warning-shots. He has not fired over any building or mech. Let's ask him what he wants."

"With all due respect, are you out of your processors, Prime? This is _Starscream_ we are talking about! He will back-stab you at any given chance!" He protested, but a glare of his Leader finally silenced him.

"Starscream! Why are you here? What do you want?" The Autobot Leader shouted, peeking over the wall.

"I thought you'd never ask!" The beige jet roared from the sky. "You have something that _belongs to me_, Prime, and I want it back!" He shot another warning blast very close to Optimus for emphasis.

"Humans cannot be owned, Starscream! She is not a pet! Leave her alone!" The Autobot Leader shouted back.

"I know you have her locked up somewhere in your base!" The jet assured.

"She is safe, and for all I know she has a strong case of Stockholm syndrome! I won't let you continue torturing a human!"

"Don't try my patience, Prime!" Starscream shot a low-powered blast to the concrete wall behind which Optimus and Ironhide were hiding.

"This is my final decision, Starscream. I won't let you take any human!"

"Wrong answer!" The seeker howled, unleashing true fire over the wall and bringing it down in the process.

Optimus and Ironhide ran for cover to another barricade.

::Ratchet, Bumblebee, are you two in position?:: Optimus asked through his comm. link.

::Yes, Sir!:: Bumblebee replied.

::Fire!::

From opposite sides of the Autobot base, two signal-jamming fireworks exploded in the air. Optimus watched as the beige seeker could not dodge them in time and howled in rage. Starscream began to lose altitude and transformed mid-air to mech-form, trying to slow down before crashing into the ground.

Ironhide and Bumblebee ran to the impact crater and peeked inside. The seeker was immobile and sparks flew from his frame here and there.

"Stupid seeker. No more second chances for you!" Ironhide readied his cannons, his weapon capacitors whining as he loaded them.

But he didn't have the opportunity to fire. Starscream moved quickly as a lightning and fired his null-ray to Ironhide's loading cannon, making it explode. Then, in a single fluid motion, he jumped out of the crater and grabbed the weapons specialist from behind, immobilizing him. Bumblebee beeped and clicked as he pointed his own gun at them, but could not fire with the black Autobot taken hostage.

"Did you honestly think that you could use the same trick two times on me? I feel sincerely offended." The seeker sneered, and with his bare claws, pulled out Ironhide's second cannon on his other arm. The black topkick howled in rage, feeling more humiliation than pain at being disarmed.

From his peripheral vision, Starscream sensed something moving fast in his direction. Optimus was charging against them. The beige seeker fired a blast to the Autobot Leader's arm-gun and then shoved the weapons specialist in Optimus direction, making them crash.

Bumblebee saw his opportunity and fired to the now unprotected seeker, gracing one of his flanks. Starscream fired back a high powered but focused blast and severed the yellow scout's arm with one shot.

::Autobots, come out and fight!:: Optimus ordered through the comm. link. Until now, the rest of the Autobot troops had remained hidden, protecting the humans just in case the beige seeker was a distraction. But now that Optimus had confirmed that the jet was alone they were going to fight seriously. It was only one enemy, but Starscream was too dangerous to be underestimated.

The Autobot Leader charged again in the seeker's direction, but he stopped on his feet as a huge blast impacted the ground, leaving a considerable crater between him and his objective.

"Starscream, you fool! Come back here so I can weld your wings together!" A new voice howled from the sky, followed by the roaring of powerful jet engines.

"Megatron!" Starscream and Optimus exclaimed in unison. And the Decepticon Leader was not alone. The rest of the seekers plus Soundwave and Shockwave were with him as they descended from the sky, wreaking havoc through the Autobots' forces.

Megatron transformed mid-air and landed hard in front of Optimus, the pavement cracking under his feet.

"Bring it, brother!" The Warlord taunted. Optimus didn't have to be told twice. He unsheathed his energon blade and charged against the enemy Leader, decided to put an end to the Decepticon threat, starting a lethal choreography of blows and fire.

Soon, every 'Bot and 'Con was engaged in combat, their forces quite balanced. The Autobots outnumbered them, but the Decepticons were bigger, with heavier armor and superior firepower.

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were fighting against Skywarp. The twins were smaller than the black seeker, but fast and agile front line warriors, and their understanding in battle was admirable, each one complementing the moves of his brother. Skywarp was having a hard time dodging the incessant series of blows and he fell to the ground. The twins jumped onto him to land a final double-blow on his enemy, but the seeker teleported just some meters over them and he let himself fall over his enemies, pinning both Sunstreaker and Sideswipe to the ground at the same time under his heavier frame.

Ironhide had lost both cannons, but still had an energon rifle hidden and was now exchanging shots with Shockwave, who was providing cover fire for his comrades. Finally, Ironhide's shots found target, hitting Shockwave's arm-cannon capacitors, and depriving him of his main weapon. Shockwave charged furiously against his enemy, the rest of the weapons specialist's shots dealing painful, but non-lethal damage to his heavy armor. They clashed and fell to the ground, the cyclops mech kicking away Ironhide's rifle in the struggle.

Soundwave was fighting against the three Arcee triplets. The three femmes were fast, and their movements were like one because their minds were linked. The sisters fought like a single unit. But that only made things easier for the telepath. With all those mental links floating through the waves, he had no difficulty in dodging every blow. He could read them like a datapad. One of the Arcee's jumped from behind him, trying to deal a fatal blow on the back of the blue mech, but Soundwave quickly turned around and fired a sonic blast that hit his enemy point blank. The Arcee was knocked unconscious and his sisters immediately followed her, the shock from the close-ranged blast shared through their wide open link.

Thundercracker was trying to land a shot on Jazz, but the sleek silver Autobot was fast and had a shield to protect himself. They kept exchanging fire for a while, until Jazz decided to change his strategy. He invaded the seeker's melee space and started dance-fighting around him, his movements too quick for Thundercracker to follow. The blue seeker was fast in the sky, but not so in the ground, and his bulkier frame with wings was a handicap against a small agile mech like Jazz. Thundercracker smirked. This was the chance he had been waiting for. Suddenly he released a sonic boom with his thrusters that made Jazz cover his audio receptors in pain, his HUD jammed with errors. The blue seeker quickly grabbed his enemy by the throat with one servo and raised him to optic level.

Starscream was exchanging blows with a one-armed but very brave Bumblebee and an angry Ratchet.

"What do you plan to do with that human, Starscream?" The medic asked calmly as he fired his own gun against the seeker.

"That's none of your business, medic!" He snapped back, dodging the incoming fire.

"I didn't know you cared for your pets... or anything besides yourself, for that matter." Ratchet said, trying to taunt the seeker and find the hidden purpose behind his actions.

"I don't want her near filthy Autobots, she might catch fleas!" He replied as he kicked bumblebee and dodged Ratchet's saw-blade.

Optimus succeeded in landing a blast to Megatron's chest, but it was not enough to reach the Warlord's heavy armored spark chamber. The blue and red mech tried to land a final blow to his brother's damaged chest with his energon blade, but Megatron quickly grabbed Optimus' arm and severed it off with a blast at point-blank range. Optimus groaned in pain and Megatron hit him in his face-plates, cracking his battle-mask. Then, he kicked him and the Autobot Leader fell to the ground, Megatron pinning him down with a foot. Optimus could not move under Megatron's weigh.

Almost everymech in the battlefield turned their attention to Optimus and Megatron as they heard the Prime falling hard to the ground.

Time seemed to flow slower as the Decepticon Warlord fully charged his fusion-cannon and pointed directly to his brother pinned to the ground. That shot was impossible to miss.

Everymech flinched as they heard the deafening sound of the fusion-blast been fired, and their energon ran cold in their lines.

When the smoke cloud caused by the blast dissipated, they froze.

Optimus was still pinned down by Megatron, but he was alive. The blast had impacted in the ground right beside Optimus' helm. The two Leaders were immobile, connected by their gazes. They remained in silence for several seconds that seemed ages.

"I am surrounded by idiots. _Both_ sides." He snapped, his optics narrowing and glaring daggers at his brother. Optimus was still petrified, looking at Megatron from the ground.

"What is the meaning of this, Megatron?" The Autobot Leader asked cautiously, coming out of his momentary trance.

"I have won, Optimus Prime. At your own game." The Warlord replied coolly, recoiling a step back and freeing his brother. He turned his back. He knew that Optimus would never back-stab him like this. He started to walk away. "Decepticons, retreat!" He ordered.

Everymech disengaged slowly from their opponents, very warily and keeping their optics fixed on their enemies. They were stunned to the core, but they obeyed their Leader.

"What are you doing, brother?" Optimus asked suddenly . Megatron glanced at him over his shoulder.

"What I have been trying to do for almost eight months! Abandon this pathetic planet! I don't care about you or the humans anymore, just don't get in my way and you won't have to regret it." He snapped back.

In absolute stunned silence, the Decepticons started to retreat, except for Starscream, who had his optics still fixated on his Leader. Megatron had spared Optimus' life. This was just too unbelievable. His Leader had truly changed.

"Alright, Decepticon scum, I have lost my patience with you all!" A male voice shouted suddenly from one of the hangars.

It was special agent Galloway, and he had Eleonor immobilized from behind, a gun pointed directly to her head. She was silently sobbing, tears running down her cheeks.

"Agent Galloway, this is not necessary at all, the Decepticons were leaving willingly, please, don't do anything regrettable." Optimus pleaded, trying to sound calm and reassuring.

"This _traitor_ is the cause of all this trouble! It is because of her that the enemy is here in our base!" Galloway said with conviction, his grip on the human tightening and releasing the safety catch of the gun.

"Don't you even _dare_, insect." Starscream said very slowly, his voice lowered to a dangerous hiss that could have chilled the Hells.

"You want this treacherous bitch back? Fine, you can have her!" Galloway released the young woman and shoved her in front of him.

Eleonor scrambled to her feet and ran for cover in Starscream's direction.

_Bang!_

The time seemed to slow down again.

Everymech flinched as the young woman fell to the ground.

Megatron was the first mech to come out of the stupor, and with a single blast of his fusion-cannon, the place in which Galloway had been standing was reduced to a crater full of ashes.

Starscream forgot completely about the rest of the Autobots and Decepticons. He approached quickly to the fallen woman and crouched down, picking up her limp form. He held her in his servos as if she were the most delicate and precious thing on Earth. She was shaking and the blood was turning crimson her white blouse.

"...I am... sorry... Sir..." She managed to say between ragged breaths.

"Don't go anywhere, woman... Don't you dare!" He whispered to her. But Eleonor had closed her eyes and Starscream could feel her heartbeat slowing down.


	19. Care

Chapter 19: Care

"Starscream!" Ratchet shouted, bringing Starscream back from his shock. The seeker looked back at the medic with a blank expression. "Bring her to my med-bay, quickly!" Ratchet's face-plates were set in a grim expression. Starscream hesitated for a nanosecond. Ratchet was an enemy. An enemy that have hacked him just some days ago. "Do you have any human medical training, seeker?" Ratchet urged. An enemy that happened to be the only one that could possibly save his human from a certain death. There was no other option. Starscream would swallow his pride this time.

The medic turned and headed for the base. Starscream quickly followed him, holding the dying human close to his chest. He could not speak a word, his mind was racing and his vocalizer seemed to have frozen. They disappeared from sight as they entered the medical hangar.

Outside remained the rest of the Autobots and Decepticons in different grades of shock. Megatron was staring with a grim expression to the hangar where the medic and the seeker had disappeared into carrying the dying femme.

Optimus could not get out if his astonishment. What had happened to Megatron and his Decepticons? He could not erase from his hard-drives the look in Starscream's face-plates as he was picking up the fallen woman. The seeker was genuinely devastated. What had this woman done for him? For them?

"Megatron..." Optimus raised with difficulty from the ground and stared at his brother with concern. "Starscream can stay as long as he needs to. You have my word that no harm will come to him."

The Decepticon Leader gave Optimus a warning glare, and then turned around.

"Decepticons, retreat." He commanded again, his voice lower, but still with a strong commanding tone in it. He transformed and took off, followed by a very silent Soundwave and Shockwave.

"She is going to be alright, isn't she?" Skywarp whined, grabbing Thundercracker by his arm.

"I don't know, 'Warp... Ratchet is a good medic, but healing humans is more difficult than fixing mechs..." He replied quietly to his wingbrother. "Let's go. Starscream will keep us updated through our comm. link."

Skywarp pouted but obeyed. Glancing back one last time, he transformed and took off just behind Thundercracker.

Optimus glanced back at the crater where Galloway had been moments ago. A human had died. Not that he liked him, but it was a failure for the Autobot Leader. Galloway had made a grave mistake shooting another person, but he deserved a fair judgment and an appropriate punishment.

He checked his Autobot comrades. Some of them were quite beaten up. Optimus himself, like bumblebee, was missing an arm. It was painful but not lethal. The Arcee triplets and Jazz were knocked out. Ironhide had his pride more hurt than his frame. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were just a little beaten up.

Optimus smiled inwardly. Megatron had won at his own game. The Decepticons had won without killing any Autobot. They had just made their point and left.

"What has changed in you, brother?" He wondered.

* * *

><p>Starscream stared in stunned silence while Ratchet worked quickly and efficiently, his servos transformed into human-sized surgical tools. The first thing he did was connect the young woman to plastic bags filled with blood. The seeker had no idea of how humans functioned, but he understood that she had lost a lot of blood and that could be very dangerous for her. He looked down at his own servos. They were covered with Eleonor's blood. He had never cared about getting messy with his victims, but this was different. Unintentional. Unwanted. It felt... just <em>wrong<em>. There was so much blood everywhere...

"You can clean your servos in that sink." Ratchet said, absently motioning for the back side of the medical bay.

The beige seeker accepted the advice without saying a word. Meanwhile, the medic was hooking the woman to an artificial respiration machine. He teared apart the crimson-stained blouse and worked to extract the bullet.

"...How is she?" The jet asked softly while he idly watched the blood-stained water running down the sink. Ratchet was surprised by the sincere concern of his tone.

"She has a pierced lung. It's very grave. And she has lost too much blood. We have intervened quickly, but it is soon to know." He replied professionally.

Starscream remained in silence. He was half expecting the medic to make hurting remarks or angry taunts. But Ratchet was working with absolute focus, barely paying attention to his enemy. He was just a professional trying to save a life.

An hour later, the Autobot medic stopped to clean his tools. The beige seeker looked back at him expectantly.

"I have done everything in my power. Now, it's up to her." Ratchet said. Starscream nodded briefly. "I must now attend to my comrades, Starscream. They need my attention as well. Optimus says that you can remain here as long as you need, nobody will hurt you." The seeker nodded again, looking away. He felt humiliated by having to accept Autobot help. Especially from Ratchet. "Watch the monitors and call me if any of them starts beeping. I'll leave open my comm. link." Then, he exited that room of the med-bay, closing the doors behind him and leaving alone the Decepticon and the human.

* * *

><p>Bumblebee and Optimus were the first two mechs in the repairs list. Both of them with the same injury. Curiously the only mech that had not suffered considerable damage was Ratchet. Was it a coincidence? Or was it an act of mercy from the Decepticons?<p>

"How are you, guys?" A small feminine voice asked from the floor. It was Mikaela, who was peeking at them from behind the med-bay's doors. "Sam and I were very scared..."

"I was not scared!" Sam complained indignantly. "Just a little... hm... concerned. But I knew that you would end up kicking the afts of those Decepticreeps."

They approached to their guardian, and Bumblebee hugged them carefully with his remaining arm.

"Well... actually... it was the Decepticons who kicked ours sorry afts..." Ratchet said a little ashamed.

"What do you mean? Is everyone alright?" Sam was starting to worry again.

"While it is true that the Decepticons won... they didn't take any advantage of it. They didn't even kill anyone." Optimus explained with a confused look. "Megatron... he could have killed me. But he didn't. He just told us to stay out of his way, and they left. He also said that they are leaving Earth soon. I am as shocked as you."

"That would be very good news if they were true." Sam replied, still mistrustful.

"By the way, where is Eleonor? I don't trust that woman very much after what Galloway told us about her... But she looked so worried in the bunker... and then Galloway grabbed her and ordered her to follow him out of the bunker, he was very rough..." Mikaela wondered.

The three mechs exchanged worried glances.

"What happened, Optimus?" Mikaela asked again, her voice filled with concern.

"Galloway shot her. In front of every Autobot and Decepticon." He said bluntly. Mikaela and Sam gasped in horror, covering their mouths with a hand.

"She is in that other room of the med-bay. She is very grave." Ratchet pointed to the room.

"And Galloway?" Sam asked.

"He is dead. Megatron shot him in retaliation." Optimus replied.

"I can't understand a thing..." Mikaela shook her head.

"Well... it seems that what Miss Eleonor said was true. Megatron has changed... And I didn't believe her..." Optimus said regretfully. "We will have to ask her if she recovers from this. We owe her an apology."

"Can we... go and visit her?" Sam asked with remorse. Bumblebee whined in protest and hugged them closer. "What happens, 'Bee? What's wrong?"

"Miss Eleonor is not alone in that room..." Optimus paused trying to find a less shocking way to deliver the latest news, but he failed. "Starscream is guarding her."

Mikaela and Sam's jaws dropped.

"And he is not shooting this whole place down!" Sam screamed.

"And we are still alive!" Mikaela echoed him.

"It seems that he is just... _concerned_ about Eleonor." Optimus told them.

"The Pits have frozen!" Mikaela exclaimed.

* * *

><p>The next day, Ratchet entered the room of the med-bay where Eleonor and Starscream were. The lights were set low, and the seeker's optics projected an eerie crimson glow over the place as they on-lined. He had been resting for a while, sitting on a nearby berth. However, his sensors had been powered up the whole time, and he was fully awake as the medic stepped inside.<p>

"Is everything alright?" Ratchet asked.

"Without changes." The beige mech replied dryly.

The medic switched on the rest of the lights and approached to Eleonor, hooking up a new dose of saline solution.

"This is for you." Ratchet left a cube of energon on a desk near Starscream. The seeker looked at it as if it was poisoned. "Oh, for the love of Primus..." Ratchet snatched the cube and took a sip, then he left it again on the desk.

Starscream grabbed it tentatively, and drank it slowly. Ratchet turned to review the reports of the medical machines.

"What are all those tubes for?" The beige mech asked suddenly after a long silence. There were tubes coming out of the woman's mouth.

"To help her breathe. She couldn't when she arrived. Once she is awake she will not need them anymore." He explained. "They are very uncomfortable, but necessary. When she wakes up she is going to choke on them. That is why I need you to warn me the moment she awakes, to help her pulling the tubes out."

Starscream nodded silently. Ratchet decided that it was very strange. The beige seeker was well known for his belligerent behaviour. He was cruel and mean. Unpredictable and deadly in battle. But now, he was quiet. Concerned. There was no irony or resentment in his tone. Ratchet could almost feel sympathy for him.

"Why do you care so much about a human, Starscream?" He asked, pushing his luck with the unusually calm seeker.

"She is mine." He replied stubbornly, narrowing his optics.

"Here we go again..." Ratchet gave up with a sigh. It was clear that the seeker wasn't going to tell him anything.

They fell into a long awkward silence.

"She... _cares_." Starscream said suddenly. Ratchet turned his attention to him. "She didn't have to, but she cared for all of us. We were mean to her. I almost killed her. But she just kept caring about all of us. We didn't deserve it. But she did. No one has cared for us Decepticons before." He sighed.

"I understand."

"No, you don't." He hissed. "I don't care about the rest of humanity, they all can rot in hell. But _this_ human, just this one, I didn't want her to be in danger. I didn't want her to get hurt."

"I am very sorry, Starscream." The medic said sympathetically.

"I don't need your sympathy, Autobot." He hissed, looking away.

Ratchet nodded, understanding that the seeker was uncomfortable with the situation and he left the room once his work was finished.

* * *

><p>Two more days later, Ratchet received a ping from Starscream while he was checking the repairs on Bumblebee's arm.<p>

"I have to go." He said, and left in a hurry. The yellow scout and his human companions exchanged worried glances.

One minute later, he was at the med-bay. As he entered Eleonor's room, he saw the seeker staring at the monitors. One of them was beeping periodically.

"What happens?" He asked, not bothering to hide his concern. The medic turned to inspect the monitors.

"Well, this is good. Eleonor is no longer in coma, just asleep. She could wake up at any time soon." Ratchet said reassuringly.

"That is good to hear." Starscream said, feeling a little relieved.

"Do you mind if... I bring Mikaela and Sam? They could really help waking her up softly, without starting her. Besides... they have been wanting to visit her during all these days, but were afraid of you." The medic suggested.

"And they do well in been afraid." The seeker hissed threateningly. "I am no friend of any of you. Don't forget that."

Ratchet sighed.

"You know... during these three days Bumblebee has been always near the med-bay's entrance." The medic told him.

"Bad luck with the patrol scheduling?" The seeker mocked.

"No. He offered. He didn't want any... _resentful_ mech bothering you.."

"How touching..." He mocked again.

"Oh, for the love of Primus, you are going to be the death of me!" Ratchet was losing his patience.

"Megatron says that a lot." He said, with an evil smirk.

Ratchet groaned in frustration.

"What I am trying to say, is that despite Bumblebee been your enemy, he understands quite well how you feel." The medic snapped, silencing the beige mech. "Because the same way you care for Eleonor, he cares for Sam and Mikaela."

Starscream scowled at Ratchet for a long moment, pondering his words.

"Fine." He huffed. "I won't bother in terminating those two insignificant insects." His wings twitched slightly in annoyance.

"Thanks Primus..." The medic murmured as he pinged Bumblebee.

Two minutes later, the yellow scout peeked through the doorframe and beeped quietly.

"How is your arm, Autobug?" Starscream smirked evilly. Bumblebee whined to Ratchet.

"_Please_. Hush you two." The medic groaned.

Sam and Mikaela peeked from behind the yellow scout and froze. The Decepticon was way bigger than Ratchet and Bumblebee. His expression was menacing and fierce, and his crimson glare made their blood run cold.

"Come here and help me waking Eleonor up, would you, Mikaela?" Ratchet asked.

She hesitated, but walked warily to the medic under the intent glare of the Decepticon. Ratchet scooped her up. Bumblebee approached too with Sam on his left shoulder.

Mikaela glanced one more time at the seeker, and then turned to Eleonor.

"Oh my god... I didn't know it was this grave..." She gasped in horror and put a hand over her mouth. "What did Galloway do to you...?"

"Well, that has been taken care of. For good." Starscream smirked, remembering the crater that had been once the human that had dared to shoot his pet. "Good thing Megatron vaporized him with a blast, because I would have torn him apart, limb by limb."

Sam shivered. Mikaela gulped and approached the sleeping form of Eleonor. She put a hand on her cheek and made circles with her thumb.

"Hey, Eleonor." She whispered. Eleonor's eyebrows twitched slightly. "Hey, wake up sweetie." She caressed Eleonor's messy hair and continued whispering to her. "We are here, waiting for you. Ratchet is here, with me and Sam. Also Bumblebee... and _Starscream_. He has come to see you! And guess what? We are not shooting each other... at least for now."

"Don't give me ideas..." The seeker snorted.

"Please, Eleonor." She continued to whisper. "I am so sorry... please, wake up and save me from Starscream, he is a mean _Decepticreep_!

Starscream growled at the mock-name.

"Say that again if you want to die, maggot..." He hissed.

But he was interrupted by a sudden coughing noise.

"Eleonor!" Everyone exclaimed in unison.

Ratchet quickly transformed his servos into more delicate tools and helped the young woman getting rid of the tubes. Once she was free of them, she gasped for air, feeling her throat sore.

"Easy, girl, easy..." Ratchet said reassuringly.

"Is... everyone... alright?" She managed to ask between ragged breaths.

"You nearly die and the first thing you worry about is how _we_ are?" Starscream asked softly, surprising the rest of the presents. It was very odd to hear the voice of the seeker without a glint of mischief or hate.

"Starscream, Sir..." Eleonor looked up to the seeker and smiled in relief. How she had missed him. She could not stop the tears of happiness that started to run down her cheeks.

"The very same." He smirked in delight, wings flaring proudly behind him.

Eleonor glanced around her.

"Ratchet, Bumblebee, Mikaela, Sam!" She exclaimed.

"We are so sorry, Eleonor." Sam pouted. "That idiot Galloway told us _lies_. He made us believe that you were a traitor! But they were all lies! Optimus says that you were only working for the greater good and that you are brave! And we're so sorry..."

"Sam, you are going to give her a headache." Mikaela intervened, cutting off Sam's rant.

"We are sorry." He added again quickly.

"It's alright, I understand... uff... my throat hurts." Eleonor sighed.

"Drink this." Ratchet gave her a glass of water. "And don't get too excited. You had a pierced lung. You can try to walk but no running, no coughing, no laughing, and no more gasping in awe. At least for a week." The medic said with a stern voice.

"Can I eat? I am hungry." Eleonor asked hopefully.

"Yes." The medic chuckled softly.

"We'll bring you something!" Mikaela chirped, and took seat on Bumblebee's hand. Then, they headed for the kitchen.

"And how... is it that you are not killing each other?" She asked, remembering what the medic had done to the seeker not so long ago. Ratchet grunted and Starscream growled and looked away.

"Just... don't ask." The seeker groaned.

"Your life was higher priority than our prides." Ratchet said bluntly. Eleonor's eyes widened.

Eleonor looked at Starscream again. The beige seeker didn't like to express his feelings often, but Eleonor was good at reading his body language by now. His wings were a little dropped, and his optics weren't so bright as usual.

"You are tired, Sir." She said with concern.

"Considering he has not moved from your side since you entered this room..." Ratchet murmured as he unhooked Eleonor from the monitoring machines. "...he should be."

"Would you stop worrying about everything, woman?" The beige seeker groaned.

"Yes, Sir." She smiled. "How are the others?

"Well, Skywarp nearly had a spark-failure when... wait. I said stop that!" Starscream reprimanded her. She giggled softly.

"No laughing!" Ratchet said quickly.

"Hmpf. I can't do anything." She huffed. Starscream chuckled.

* * *

><p>Mikaela and Sam brought Eleonor a soft meal, and they left. Ratchet left the med-bay once he was sure that the young woman was not choking on her food. Starscream and her were left alone the rest of the afternoon. They needed some time alone to catch up on everything that had happened. Eleonor told him about her time with the Autobots, and Starscream told her everything since they were exchanged for each other. About the new Allspark, Megatron's intentions to leave Earth, his unfortunate visit to the Autobots, the battle and how it had ended."<p>

"Wow." She said a little shocked. "That's a lot to think about."

"Yes."

"Megatron didn't want to kill any of the Autobots." She muttered.

"He won using Optimus' own tactics." Starscream said. "Oh, the irony."

"Starscream, Sir." She said suddenly, very serious.

"What happens to my little loyal assistant?"

"_Thank you._"

Starscream was silent for a long moment and looked away with embarrassment.

"It's alright."

"You risked your life-" She was cut mid-sentence.

"Stop it already. You are going to ruin my reputation. I'm supposed to be a spark-less Decepticon warrior!" He complained.

"Sorry, Sir." But she smiled briefly.

"Anything else?" He asked, feeling a little guilty for cutting her off like that.

"I would like to see everyone before you go back to Cybertron. I would like to say good-bye. Please." She begged.

"Of course you will. And I think Skywarp is preparing a party just for you."

"Oh. My. God. I am _so _not surviving that." She gasped.

"No gasping."

"Fuuu."


	20. Picture

Chapter 20: Picture

Five days later, Eleonor was feeling sincerely healthy.

"Please, Ratchet. I'm dying from boredom of been here the whole day. And I feel fine. I am sure I can go for a walk. Besides, I must start doing some rehab." She pleaded.

"And I can watch over her." Starscream added.

Ratchet hesitated.

"And I think that if Starscream doesn't stretch his wings for a while he is going to start shooting this place down." She whispered with complicity. The beige jet smirked evilly.

"Fine, fine! I give up!" The medic huffed. "But beware of the rest of the Autobots. I will inform Optimus."

"I will tear them to pieces if they come anywhere near my human." The seeker growled.

"Primus, grant me patience."

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, Eleonor have had a well earned shower and put on some clean clothes that Mikaela had very kindly brought for her. A short dark grey skirt and a white shirt.<p>

"You smell better now." Starscream said with a smirk as they exited the med-bay under the intent glare of Ratchet and Bumblebee.

"Thank you." She sighed. "You know, I was really busy being in coma to care about personal hygiene."

Starscream chuckled darkly as they walked out of the med-bay's doors. The few Autobots outside directed mistrustful glances in their direction.

"I think I can walk." She suggested from the seeker's servo.

"Humm, I have changed my opinion. The floor is dirty." He said glancing down.

"Please..."

"Just teasing." He smirked and lowered his servo to the floor.

Eleonor took some tentative steps.

"Can we go outside?"

Starscream nodded in agreement and headed for the hangar entrance, Eleonor walking slowly behind him. The sun blinded them momentarily as they arrived outside. Ironhide and Optimus were also there, talking quietly. The weapons specialist grunted as he saw the seeker, glaring daggers at him. The Autobot Leader just waved friendly. Starscream tried very hard to suppress his weapon capacitors from loading in reflex.

"Hi Optimus!" Eleonor waved back. The Autobot Leader approached slowly, leaving a grunting Ironhide behind. Starscream's wings twitched slightly. He was still very uncomfortable with the Autobots been so close.

"How are you feeling, Miss Eleonor? We were very worried about you." Optimus asked politely.

"Quite well. Ratchet is an excellent medic. And Starscream has not left my side the whole time." She replied with a wide smile.

"Oh, I see. You have a good friend here." He replied slowly, with his baritone voice. The seeker huffed in annoyance, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"How is everyone?" She asked.

"Fine, albeit a little scared of Starscream, I must admit." The Autobot Leader replied.

"They do well." The seeker retorted, his wings twitching.

"Why don't you go for a flight, Starscream? I'm aware that you seekers don't enjoy been grounded for too long." He offered. The beige mech glared at him warily. "I promised Megatron that no harm would come to you or Eleonor."

Starscream hesitated, but he knew that Optimus never lied, even to the Decepticons.

"Fine." He huffed, taking some steps back and transforming into his F-22 alt-form with a swift and elegant motion.

"Woah. All this time working with you and I've never had the chance to see your jet mode! It's very cool!" She beamed, admiring the seeker. In this form, the strange black markings composed themselves to form alien tribal tattoos. Optimus chuckled. Seeing that jet in the sky usually inspired the terror in the sparks and hearts of many mechs and humans. But it inspired just the opposite in Eleonor.

"The inside's better." He said playfully. Eleonor grinned madly at the unspoken but implicit promise of a ride.

"Take some pics of the Nevada desert for me, it's an interesting place!" She beamed.

"Hey, the location of this base is classified!" Optimus said with feigned indignation.

"With all due respect, Optimus, I knew it since I arrived here with just a look outside your cabin's window. The landscape, combined with the unique plants and birds that I saw could not be mistaken."

The Autobot Leader stared at the small human dumbfounded. Starscream burst in laughter.

"Get used to it, Prime. She did the same thing when she arrived to our base." He managed to say between chuckles and took off to the sky. His laughter could still be heard in the distance. His human pet was very smart.

Ironhide approached now.

"Starscream laughing without anyone being tortured to death or exploding? The Pits have frozen." He huffed.

Meanwhile, Eleonor was gazing up to the sky. The seeker was barreling through the clouds and making loops at high speed, but he never left too far. She knew that he was still looking after her up there.

"Ironhide." Optimus said to get his weapons specialist's attention. The black mech glanced back at his Leader. "This war has lasted for so long that we have forgotten that our enemies are also people."

"What do you mean?" Ironhide was a little lost.

"What I am trying to say, is that we only know the Decepticons in the battlefield, as warriors in the opposite faction. But besides that, they are just like us. They also have concerns, ambitions, dreams, fears, they like having fun and hanging out with friends." He explained.

"They have killed many innocents, Prime. I cannot forget that." Ironhide replied with a sorrowful glance.

"I can't forget that either." Optimus shook his head. "But what should we do? Kill each other to extinction? Even Megatron seems to have realized that."

"We cannot change the past, but we can work for a better future." Eleonor said suddenly from the ground. She had told Starscream the same thing when he told her about Megatron's plans.

Optimus and Ironhide glanced down at her and blinked in surprise.

"That is a wise advise. I'll try to keep it in mind." Optimus said. Ironhide smirked briefly.

Half an hour later, Starscream barreled to the ground and pulled up in the last second, transforming mid-air and landing neatly in front of Eleonor, Optimus and Ironhide.

"Show-off." The weapons specialist grunted. His cannons spinning without shooting in pure reflex.

Starscream smirked evilly. He knew the black topkick would not dare to raise a weapon against him in front of his Leader.

"Ah, I feel much better. I think the next time I would take you with me for a flight, Ironhide, it will improve your mood, I assure you." The seeker said with malice.

"Insufferable aft-head." Ironhide grunted and turned to leave.

Optimus sighed and face-palmed.

"You are the most evil of the Decepticons!" Eleonor said in admiration. It was easy to annoy Ironhide, but to do it to the point of making him give up and leave was quite a feat.

"I know." He smirked, and crouched to offer a hand to his human.

"How about we go and scare the hell out of Mikaela and Sam?" Eleonor suggested as she made herself comfortable in Starscream's palm.

"I have taught you well, my loyal pet!" He laughed.

"I've had a good master." She smiled back.

"Primus help us." Optimus sighed and made his way back to the base, presumably to warn the rest of the Autobots.

* * *

><p>Sam and Mikaela were at the dining hall, playing a car race video-game in a huge screen. The humans were using control pads, but Bumblebee didn't need them. Cybertronians had some useful skills with Earth technology, and he was wirelessly connected to the game console.<p>

Starscream had dampened his signals and sneaked upon the trio in absolute silence. Not even Bumblebee had detected him. They were too focused on winning the race to notice the lurking seeker.

"Rawr!" Starscream growled playfully from behind the trio.

"Aaaahh!" Sam and Mikaela screamed in unison, jumping out of the couch. Bumblebee beeped loudly and his weapon capacitors whined with the sudden overload. He was about to shoot but he stopped dead as he saw that the seeker was laughing his aft off, with no true intentions of attacking.

"Sam, I swear, you scream like a girl!" The seeker managed to say between snickers. "Megatron is going to looove this video! He will promote me to Lord Starscream for this!"

Eleonor was behind Starscream, in case Bumblebee decided to fire. She had her hands clamped over her mouth, trying very hard to muffle her laughter.

"Ah, Skywarp will be proud of us!" Eleonor said between giggles.

"You are mean, woman." Sam said with a hurt expression once his heart was beating at normal rate again.

"Sweet revenge! That was for doubting of me and believing that idiot Galloway. So, that make us even." The young woman replied with a grin.

"Ok, we had it coming. No hard feelings?" Mikaela gave up. Not that she could complain with the fearsome seeker backing Eleonor up.

"No hard feelings." Eleonor smiled. "Heh. Sorry kids. I needed a little cheering-up after all that has happened, and it was extremely boring in the med-bay."

"So, do you... want to play?" Sam suggested, a little hesitantly.

"Of course! I can beat you in any pathetic human entertainment." The beige seeker crowed. He knew that Sam was only trying to be polite, and that he was not expecting the seeker to accept the offer. But Starscream was bored to be in the Autobot base anyway, and he found that making the Autobots and their allies uncomfortable with his presence was too amusing to let it go. And Optimus had ordered that he was not to be harmed, so, Starscream could make fun of them, provided that he didn't physically harm anyone, without having to fear retaliation.

They spent the rest of the afternoon playing several video-games. Bumblebee won in the car race, but Starscream won in the flight simulator. Sam won in a fighting game and then Mikaela won at the dancing game that was played with a special carpet with arrow symbols.

"Come on, my little pet, you have to win in something!" Starscream cheered.

"Uf..." She said between gasps, recovering from the dance session. "I still can't breath like before... Wait! That's it! I am going to beat you in trivial!"

"I'm not so sure about that, our Cybertronian friends here have the google searches very close at hand." Sam warned.

"Cheaters!" Eleonor wailed, letting herself drop theatrically onto the couch. Bumblebee and Starscream chuckled in unison.

Suddenly, Ratchet appeared rounding a corner, absently reading a datapad when he saw the scout and the seeker snickering together. He blinked in surprise.

"The Pits have frozen!" He exclaimed.

"Why is it that everyone in here keeps saying that?" Starscream wondered.

"Because you behave... exceptionally friendly lately. I think. For been a Decepticon." Sam said, fidgeting a little with the game pad.

"Don't get the wrong idea, kid." Starscream hissed, leaning closer to Sam. "I am no friend of any of you." His crimson gaze pierced through him. The boy gulped hard. "I just don't see the point in squishing you no longer. Besides, it would be a mess to clean." He smirked. Oh, how he enjoyed terrorizing this specific humans.

They fell into an awkward silence until Eleonor coughed a little, clearing her throat.

"No coughing!" Ratchet shouted, reappearing again from behind another corner.

"Ahem... anyway." Eleonor said, breaking the ice. "We should get a video-game console for the Decepticons. It could improve the party!"

"Oh, but we already have several! But we don't have them in the rec. room." Starscream replied, surprising everyone.

"Really?!" Who has them?!" The young woman asked.

"Barricade and Frenzy. They love playing those silly human video-games. They even have that dancing game with the odd carpet." The seeker replied, surprising everyone even more.

"How does Barricade play? He is as big as Bumblebee!" Sam wondered. He remembered that Decepticon far too well.

"With his fingers!" Starscream laughed.

"Sweet! And how is it that you know Barricade?" Eleonor asked curious. Even she had not have too much occasions to see the Decepticon scout in the Nemesis.

"Oh, that's a good story. He tried to kill us, but Bumblebee kicked his sorry aft." Mikaela said. The yellow scout beeped proudly.

"Nah, actually he only wanted to know the location of your great-grandfather's glasses, but you didn't cooperate." Starscream said with disinterest. Eleonor tilted her head in confusion. "Long story, I'll explain it some other day." Starscream assured. She nodded.

"Well, who's hungry?" Mikaela asked suddenly, realizing that it was getting late.

"Meee!" Sam and Eleonor said in unison.

* * *

><p>"Our energon is better." Starscream said absently, taking a sip of an energon cube with Bumblebee. The three humans were below them at the human-sized tables, eating a pizza. And the rest of the Autobots were at the other side of the dining hall, eerie silent and glancing nervously at the menacing seeker.<p>

Optimus finally opted for the diplomatic way, and approached slowly to the other side of the hall.

"Prime! I see you come to join the seeker-side of the force- I mean, of the room." He mocked. Eleonor choked on his drink hearing the Star Wars reference that Starscream had made. "No coughing!" He reprimanded, looking down to her.

"Don't make her laugh while she's drinking, you are going to kill her." Mikaela frowned.

"Oh, I've tried, I assure you." The seeker muttered.

Mikaela and Sam exchanged confused and worried glances.

"Long story, I'll tell you some other day." Eleonor apologized.

"So many secrets..." The seeker wondered absently with a mysterious aura.

"And how do you obtain your energon in your base, Starscream? You stopped your attacks to the human oil refineries long ago." Optimus asked, taking a seat.

"Ask my pet." He replied with a shrug. Optimus glanced down at Eleonor.

"If I told you, I would have to kill you." She replied, all seriousness. Optimus blinked and Starscream choked on his energon. "Hah! Sweet revenge!" Eleonor cheered at the coughing seeker. Optimus fruitlessly tried to muffle a laugh with his servo. "Now, really, I would have to ask permission to the Boss'Con to reveal that."

"The 'Boss'Con'?" Starscream repeated in disbelief, recovering from the sudden coughing fit.

"Well, I've heard Jazz calling Optimus 'Boss'Bot' and I though, hey, then Lord Megatron must be the Boss'Con!" Eleonor explained.

"Don't tell him that if you want to live." The seeker advised grimly.

"Yes, Sir." Eleonor swallowed hard. Starscream chuckled.

"Who's going to die?" Ratchet asked, arriving to the 'seeker-side' of the room.

"Eleonor!" Sam exclaimed.

"Why?"

"Because she's a mean girl and hangs out with the bad boys." Mikaela explained between giggles.

"Oh, but it would be worth it!" Eleonor justified herself.

"For the love of Primus!" Ironhide huffed as he let himself drop beside Ratchet. "I'm _so_ not going to let you hang around alone with a dangerous 'Con."

"The Pits have frozen! Ironhide is sitting at the same table with a 'Con!" Sunstreaker and Sideswipe exclaimed in unison, appearing out of the blue.

"Oh, I must take a picture of this! Lord Megatron is going to have a spark-failure." Eleonor said, preparing the timer of her phone's camera to take a picture of all of them.

"I'm going to be Lord Starscream very soon, I can feel it in my fuel-tanks." The seeker smirked evilly.

The phone's camera counted to five, and took the picture. Starscream was smirking evilly, with Eleonor sitting on his right servo, smiling shyly. Bumblebee had Sam and Mikaela hugging his helm from each one of his shoulders. Optimus was waving with a small smile. Ironhide was glaring daggers at the seeker, unaware of Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, who were making horns with their servos over the weapons specialist's helm. Ratchet seemed to be scolding the twins, threatening them with a wrench. The Arcee triplets were peeking behind Optimus shyly. And Jazz had appeared out of the blue and was crouching behind the seeker in a cool ninja-like pose.

* * *

><p>An hour later, almost everymech had retired to their quarters. Only Starscream, Optimus, Ironhide and Bumblebee with his human friends were still at the dining hall. They were watching a movie. Eleonor yawned sleepily.<p>

"Feeling drowsy, little pet?" The seeker asked quietly.

Optimus groaned inwardly. He didn't like any human been called 'pet', but Eleonor didn't seem to mind it. Maybe it just a little indulged teasing. The seeker undoubtedly cared for the young woman, but he was still a bad-mannered Decepticon after all.

"It has been a long day, with many …_ intense_ moments." Eleonor smiled tiredly. "And I think I'm still a little affected by the post-surgery... But I need to get back to work. I feel useless doing nothing. I think I'm a little workaholic..."

"Easy, woman. You have earned yourself a long vacation."

"And almost a _permanent_ retirement..." She remembered Megatron's words. Optimus smiled briefly and rolled his optics. "But I'm looking forward to Ratchet discharging me of his medical care. I want to see the others. And Lord Megatron is waiting for you. I don't want to delay things more."

"Don't worry about that. We have been stranded on this rock for several years. A couple of weeks more won't make any difference." Starscream said reassuringly. She smiled in relief.

"And I want to party hard with the Decepticons in my well-earned vacations! Yay!" She cheered sleepily before yawning.

"Come on, I'll take you to your quarters."

"But I want to finish watching the movie... That Wall-e is a very cute robot, you should like him too..."

"Too cute for his own good. And his weapons are crap." He huffed. "Anyway, he wins the girl and saves his planet. End."

"Aww... you spoiled me the ending... You have no heart... spark... whatever..." She yawned again.

"All your movies are the same. Now, come on. You are almost asleep on the couch." The seeker said, as he picked her up carefully between his clawed servos.

"Until tomorrow, Starscream." Optimus waved quietly. The Autobot Leader watched as the seeker picked up the woman with infinite care. He had misjudged the seeker when he attacked their base. Now he had proof that the Decepticons were also capable of caring.

The beige jet nodded silently in response and left, heading to Eleonor's quarters.

"Sir...I am sorry if I fall asleep on you again... I know you said... it was embarrassing..." She yawned.

Starscream paused for a second and glanced down at Eleonor, but she was already fast asleep, curled in his palm.

He smiled briefly and shook his head.


	21. Back home

Chapter 21: Back home

Three days later, Eleonor was at the med-bay early in the morning. Ratchet wanted to make her a check-up.

"How am I, Ratchet?" She asked, as the medic reviewed her health reports.

"You are fine, little one." He replied with a small smile. "You are strong. I still don't recommend you to strain yourself too much, but you need no more special cares and you can continue with your normal life."

"Yay!" She exclaimed and paused suddenly. "Although I must admit that my life is no longer ordinary." Ratchet chuckled softly. "Thank you, Ratchet. You saved my life."

"It's my job."

"But, still... you have been very nice to me, and I told you horrible things..." She regretted.

"It's understandable. Don't worry, what's past is past." He reassured.

"Oh, I have to tell Starscream!" She remembered. "See you later, doctor!" She beamed and exited the med-bay.

"And Starscream would have been very upset to lose you, Eleonor." Ratchet added to himself once she was out of the room.

* * *

><p>Eleonor approached the solitary hangar Starscream had been using lately to recharge at night since she was healthy enough to sleep in her own room. The rest of the Autobots and humans at the base had been very relieved to put a little distance between them and their unsettling guest.<p>

The door of the hangar was half open, and the nose of the F-22 was close to the entrance. Starscream secretly loved to recharge like that. He was protected by the hangar, but he could still see the night sky above him while he dozed into recharge. It was the perfect spot.

"Starscream, Sir. Are you awake?" She whispered.

The seeker smiled inwardly. It was no longer necessary for Eleonor to keep addressing him with such respect, but she did it anyway, and he secretly enjoyed it. He liked been treated with respect. He was, after all, a little self-centered at times.

"Of course, who could sleep with Bumblebee and Jazz racing in the salt flats since early morning?" Starscream spoke, still in his F-22 mode. Eleonor, meanwhile was looking intently at him. She had not have many occasions to see his alt-mode, and she found it fascinating. "What happens with you looking at me like that? Am I a giant alien robot from outer space or what?" He chuckled.

"You could say that." Eleonor laughed softly. "By the way, I bring good news..." She made a dramatic pause. "...Ratchet says I am healthy!"

"That's great!" The seeker exclaimed, transforming back to mech mode in a fluid and elegant motion.

"Yes!"

"I am telling 'Warp and TC through our comm. link... " He paused as he received the answers from his wingmates. "Skywarp says 'it's party time!' and Thundercracker says 'don't fly over 2 g-forces'... what is that?"

"Uhh... good thing to remember that if you don't want to kill me in your cabin. You should look it up on the Internet."

Starscream spent some minutes searching the Internet about gravity, acceleration and human tolerance to g-forces. His optics dimmed as he was reading through the files.

"Primus... You are quite fragile. Humans with no training should not exceed 2 g-forces, indeed." He said with concern. "We'll fly slower, it's no big deal." Eleonor nodded. "Well, what are we waiting for? I start to smell like an Autobot."

"Let me put on something nice for a party and grab some things! And we should tell Optimus that we are leaving or he would worry."

"You go prepare yourself. I'll call Optimus." He said with a soft commanding tone.

"Yes, Sir!" She saluted and trotted back to the base.

Starscream smirked and stepped outside the hangar.

::Optimus:: He called via comm. link.

::Yes, Starscream?:: The Autobot Leader replied politely.

::Do you remember what Megatron told you about leaving Earth?::

::Yes, I do::

::It is true. We are leaving. Stay out of our way and nobody will have to regret it:: The seeker warned.

::Understood. I don't want unnecessary battles either::

Starscream was silent for some seconds, gathering all his willpower to pronounce the next words.

::Thank you, Prime... and... say thank you to Ratchet as well. I still hate him but... he saved Eleonor's life, and I owe him that::

::Understood... And I am sorry, Starscream. For everything:: Optimus said with regret.

::Oh, please. Don't get sentimental on me. It was already quite difficult to be polite with you for so long!:: The seeker teased.

::After all, you are a spark-less Decepticreep::

::Don't get near me, Autoscum!:: Starscream severed the connection and chuckled lightly. On the other side of the base, Optimus was smiling too.

Right on time, Eleonor appeared coming out of the base. She was wearing a simple black dress, knee length. The upper part was like a sleeveless shirt with a modest cleavage. Completing the outfit she was wearing black low-heeled sandals and a small purse to carry her phone. She had her long curly hair pulled up with a hair-clip.

"Am I pretty?" She asked shyly, seeing that Starscream was staring intently at her, analyzing her new clothes.

"I am not familiarized with human beauty standards." He replied a little too dryly, but it was the truth.

"Oh... Don't worry... I understand." She said a little downhearted.

"Just tell her how pretty she is! Human females need compliments! You spark-less Decepticreep!" Mikaela shouted, peeking from behind a corner. Starscream unsheathed his null-ray and let his weapon capacitors whine loudly. Getting the hint, Mikaela squealed in terror and disappeared from the corner, looking for cover. With his point made, Starscream sheathed back his weapon and chuckled evilly.

Then he crouched and offered a servo to Eleonor, who took seat on it without hesitation. He raised his servo to be in optic level with her.

"Do you need a compliment?" He asked seriously.

"...It's not necessary, don't mind Mikaela, she just wants to bug you." She gave a weak smile.

"Hmm..." He was lost in his thoughts for some seconds. "I don't know anything about human beauty standards, but I know about intelligence, and I am 99% sure that you are the smartest femme on this continent right now."

Eleonor's smile grew wide and her eyes were shining.

"Thank you, Sir." She said softly. Starscream smiled briefly and nodded in response. Then, he lowered her again to the ground and transformed into is F-22 mode.

"Let's go!" He commanded, producing a step-ladder from one side.

Eleonor climbed easily and took seat inside his cabin, her hands shaking a little. She shrank slightly, looking around her in wonder as the cockpit glass descended over her.

"Are you alright?" He asked as the seat-belt glided around her and fastened.

"Y-yes... a little nervous. And I don't want to touch anything that could hurt you."

"Seriously, I don't think so." Starscream chuckled, his voice rumbling through the cabin.

"Alright." She relaxed a little. "I'm ready!"

The jet's thrusters came to life and they started to gradually gain speed until his landing gear left the ground. Little by little, they gained altitude. Starscream was being really careful.

Eleonor peeked through the glass. They were flying in a straight line over the landscape. Everything was beautiful from above. The mountains, the canyons, the dry rivers. There were small white clouds in the distance. The sky was the purest blue.

"This is beautiful..." She whispered in awe.

"I know, I am a very good-looking mech!" He crowed teasingly, although he knew she was talking about the landscape.

"Well, I don't know anything about Cybertronian beauty standards..." She replied with a smirk.

"Ouch."

"Aha! So it was true, I can hurt you!"

"Only my ego."

"Could you survive that?" She teased.

"We'll see... I'm feeling pretty weak..." He said and he turned off his thrusters. The jet began to lose altitude and descended describing ample circles to the ground. Eleonor squealed and grasped tightly the seat-belt.

"You are the most evil, smart and _handsome_ mech in the universe!" She screamed.

"Ah, I feel much better... I think I'll survive a little longer." His thrusters came back to life again and he stabilized the course.

"You are mean..."

"Yep, that went included in the 'evil' part of your compliment."

Eleonor chuckled softly.

"Actually, I think it was not so bad... If you warn me beforehand. Can we do another slow barrel roll?" She asked, surprising the seeker.

"If you get sick and spill your contents inside me... I will kill you. Slowly." He warned with feigned seriousness.

"It would be worth it, I'm sure." She teased.

"You don't appreciate your life, do you?"

"You know I don't." She smiled.

Starscream chuckled darkly and began to make a slow spin. He was tired of flying in a straight line anyway. Eleonor could now see the sea above her head, they were flying upside down for some seconds until the jet completed the spin and stabilized again.

"That was fun. And safe." She said with a small smile of relief.

"There is no safer plane on Earth to be right now, my little assistant."

* * *

><p><em>[One hour later.]<em>

Soundwave was at his usual terminal in the Nemesis' control bridge when he received the ping from Starscream.

"Starscream ETA: ten earth minutes." The dark blue mech announced.

"Excellent. Tomorrow we are leaving for Cybertron. At long last." Megatron replied. His Third in Command nodded briefly.

* * *

><p>The beige jet descended and landed on the Nemesis' upper deck. The cockpit opened and Eleonor took in a deep breath of the salty marine air, so different from that of the desert.<p>

"This feels like home." She whispered.

Suddenly, a loud crackling sound could be heard and Skywarp appeared on the deck, hugging a not-so-ready-to-teleport Thundercracker.

"Skywarp! Don't do that again without warning me!" The blue seeker complained.

"Eleonoooor! Are you alright?! I was scared for you!" The black seeker beamed as he approached the beige jet and offered a hand for the young woman to climb up.

"Skywarp! Thundercracker! How are you two?" She greeted.

"Sincerely bored." Thundercracker admitted with a friendly smile.

"AHEM... I am also happy to see you two..." Starscream huffed as he transformed into mech mode. "... Ungrateful glitches..." He added with a grumble.

"Oh, 'Screamer, when did you arrive?" The black seeker smirked teasingly.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny."

Thundercracker and Eleonor chuckled for a while.

"Should we go inside before soundwave decides to give us a free salt-water bath?" The blue seeker asked finally.

"Yes. And I have to report to Lord Megatron." Starscream added, back to business. "Come on, little pet." Skywarp offered the human back and she hopped from one servo to another.

* * *

><p>The doors of the control bridge opened to reveal Starscream with a triumphant expression, holding his human on his right servo, Skywarp and Thundercracker flanking him.<p>

Megatron regarded the new-comers with a stern glare for a long moment before he spoke.

"It's good to see you again, Starscream." He said with coldness.

"I'm glad to be back home, Lord Megatron." The seeker nodded.

"And I am pleased that your small assistant is again... functional." The Decepticon Leader added, trying not to show any emotion, dedicating a disinterested glance at the human.

"Thank you, my Lord." She said humbly, making a small curtsy.

"You are dismissed..." Megatron said. "... and one more thing." He paused. "Skywarp was very persistent about making a small celebration tonight. Not that it would be to honor a puny human, Primus forbid me." He made a dismissive motion with a servo in the air. "It would be more to celebrate our return to Cybertron. However, you are invited if you wish to assist."

"I am very grateful, Lord Megatron." She replied with a smile.

The Decepticon Leader nodded briefly and Starscream and his trine-mates left the bridge. As soon as the door was closed, Megatron turned to Soundwave.

"I don't know what is more worrying; the fact that I just told a puny human that I was happy to see her healthy, or the fact that it is actually _true_." He ran a servo down his helm.

"Miss Eleonor: valuable ally." Soundwave justified.

* * *

><p>Starscream left Eleonor in her quarters. It was lunchtime, and the party would not start until night. Skywarp left to prepare something in the rec. room, and Thundercracker went to his quarters to enjoy a short recharge-nap, now that Skywarp was busy.<p>

Eleonor sighed and went to the kitchen to have a light meal. There was still something good in the freezer. She decided for some vegetables. She cooked them and ate in silence. After all the days spent in the Autobot base in company of Mikaela, Sam and the rest of the Autobots, her quarters in the Decepticon ship seemed suddenly very empty and silent.

She smiled at the memory of Mikaela and Sam. Eleonor was not too much older than them, only seven years older, but she had much more experience in life. The kids were always cheerful, contrasting with her usually calm mood. She liked them. And she had to admit that despite the harsh beginning, the Autobots were not so bad. She still hated what they did to Starscream and his wing-brothers, but the beige seeker had admitted himself that both factions had done terrible things to each other during the war.

She sighed again. After all, they all were Cybertronians. She should not discriminate them for their factions. The Autobots didn't know it, at least not for sure, but the Decepticons had a new Allspark and they were going back to Cybertron to revive their planet. If only they knew... but she would not say a thing without Megatron's permission. Her loyalty was for the Decepticons.

Eleonor let herself drop onto her bed, having finished her lunch. She groaned, trying to put her thoughts in order. The Decepticons were leaving Earth. Tomorrow. It was difficult to assimilate. What would she do now? Where would she go? After all these months out of the game, she was surely declared dead. That was going to be a mess to explain to the authorities.

The Decepticons. Gone. Her mind turned again to that bit of information.

"I am going to miss you..." She whispered to herself.

"Who are you going to miss?" A new voice asked suddenly. Eleonor flinched slightly and straightened herself on the bed.

"Oh, Starscream, Sir. I didn't hear you coming... How long have you been there?" She asked hesitantly.

"Long enough to know that something troubles my little assistant." He said with a knowing look as he came closer to her bed.

"It's alright, don't worry." She managed to give a small smile. Starscream reprimanded her with a scowl. She sighed in defeat. "It's just... I am very happy that you finished the new Allspark and that you can go back to Cybertron. Honestly. But I feel also a little sad... because... I am going to miss you all... especially _you_." She admitted, blushing slightly.

"_Me_?" He asked in disbelief. "After almost killing you... I lost the count of how many times..."

"Well, you didn't." She chuckled softly. "I have spent a lot of time here at the lab with you and I think I've grown attached."

"We are quite a team, aren't we? My little lab assistant." He said with a smirk.

"I agree." She said with a sincere smile. "So, what brings you here?"

"Skywarp is preparing the party and can't stop still in our quarters. I needed a rest and your quarters seemed quiet. Do you mind if I stay here for a while to have a small recharge-nap? I'm afraid that the party will be long."

"Of course you can. Actually, I was about to do the same." She admitted. "I woke up too early this morning and I'm already a little tired."

"Good." He said, transforming into his jet-mode. Eleonor watched him transform with endless curiosity.

"That's the most bad-ass thing I've ever seen. I swear." She said marvelled. She didn't get tired of watching any mech transforming. "Cybertronians are so different! There is nothing on Earth like you. Not remotely similar. It defies everything we hypothesized about alien life forms." Her scientific side was taking control of her.

"I'm bad-ass." He chuckled at the compliment.

Eleonor stood on the bed and inspected him closely. Except for the different color, it was indistinguishable from a conventional jet. She reached up a hand, but stopped hesitantly.

"...May I... touch you?"

"What am I? Your pet?" He said with feigned indignation.

"Sorry... that was disrespectful." She apologized.

The jet chuckled in amusement. "Fine, I think I'll survive a little petting."

Eleonor grinned happily and reached her hand again. She touched the tip of the right wing and run her hand by the front border.

"I can't tell the difference with a human plane, except for the colors, and the fact that you are warm. Besides that, your disguise is perfect." She came closer and caressed the underside of the wing. The jet shuddered slightly.

"Hey, stop that. It tickles!" He protested.

Eleonor laughed softly. A jet with ticklish wings was the last thing she was expecting. Cybertronians and humans were not so different.

"Sorry!" She said still giggling. "I'll better let you rest." She said, letting herself drop onto the bed and rolling on the sheets. She needed to get a good rest before the party. And what could Skywarp possibly had prepared? She wondered. Eleonor glanced one last time at the jet, probably in recharge by now. She was going to miss him.

Starscream smiled inwardly, still receiving faint signals from his superficial receptors under his right wing. The wings of a seeker were full of very sensitive receptors to pick up the variations in the air pressure, indispensable for flight. It was also the reason because it was so painful to receive injuries there. And he would never admit it, not even under torture, but the light touches of the soft and warm human hands felt absolutely wonderful.

"Primus... I now understand Ravage." He muttered.

"What...?" Eleonor was half asleep. Only half asleep.

"Scrap. Did I say that aloud?"


	22. Party hard

Chapter 22: Party hard

Two hours later, the peace ended up abruptly.

"It's party time!" Skywarp beamed, waving his arms in the air as he burst into Eleonor's quarters. The young woman was sitting on the bed with her laptop over her legs. Starscream was very close to the bed, still in alt-mode.

"Hello, Skywarp!" She greeted. The black mech widened his optics and gasped theatrically.

"Starscream!" He wailed. "Not only you invade a lady's bed but also put her to work on a party day?!"

"Says the mech that invaded the same lady's room while she was taking a bath!" The beige jet retorted.

"I didn't want to remember that..." Eleonor face-palmed.

"So, what are you doing hiding here, Starscream?" The black seeker asked.

"_Hiding_?" The trine-leader repeated, offended.

"_Hiding._" The other seeker insisted with a smirk.

"_Napping_." Starscream corrected. "You were awfully noisy in our quarters. And my assistant here is preparing a protocol to shut down the panels preserving the algae in case we need them again."

"Yep." She confirmed while typing.

"Noooo! So it was true! You put her to work on a party day!" Skywarp wailed.

"I am fine, don't worry. I needed a distraction." She said reassuringly. "And I am almost done. Just give me five more minutes."

"Ok..." The black seeker gave up, still a little reluctantly.

"We should get rid of the rest of my perishable supplies also..." She added absently, glancing at the kitchen section of her quarters.

"Don't worry about that." The beige jet said. "And what brings you here, Skywarp?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Well... TC... kind of... kicked me out of the room because he wanted to nap for a while too..." He replied sheepishly.

"Aha!" Starscream said triumphantly. "I see that I am not alone in this world."

"So, how did you manage to survive in the Autobot base, Starscream?" Skywarp asked curious, changing the subject again.

"Ah... wouldn't you like to know?" The seeker whispered with malice.

* * *

><p>"That glitch-head Ironhide..." Shockwave murmured, adjusting his cannon-arm and making it spin. That weapon capacitor had been a hell to replace and he was not accustomed to the new one yet.<p>

"But you kicked his aft in the end!" Frenzy cheered. "I could see it through Soundwave's feedback."

"Yeah, that's true." The cyclops mech said, a smirk in his tone.

They were sitting at the main table of the Nemesis' rec. room. Shockwave was reclined on a couch and Frenzy was on the table, to make up for his smaller size.

"Frenzy! Shockwave!" A small feminine voice beamed. Starscream had just entered the rec. room with his human on his right servo, Skywarp and Thundercracker trailing close behind them. The blue seeker went for the high-grade dispenser to grab some cubes for his brothers.

"Eleonor!" The tiny silver mech exclaimed. Shockwave waved friendly with his left arm and motioned for the new-comers to take a seat at the same table as them. The seeker trine accepted the invitation. Starscream left Eleonor on the table. "Are you alright? That idiot shot you!" Frenzy asked with unusual concern in his otherwise mischievous tone.

"I didn't know you cared so much for humans, Frenzy." She teased between chuckles.

"Well...after what you have done, you are almost like a Decepticon. A little squishable Decepticon, you could say." He admitted with embarrassment.

"Aww, Frenzy, you are a sweet-spark! Let me hug you!"

"Wait! No hugs!" He wailed, but it was too late. Eleonor grabbed and pulled him into a bear-hug. The small silver mech squirmed but it was futile. "Let me go! I still have some dignity!"

"So, abusing the only mech that is smaller than you, hm? What a shame." A new deep voice said suddenly. Eleonor and Frenzy froze. Above them, Megatron was smirking. Soundwave was beside him, his face-plates unreadable, as usual.

"Sorry." She said quickly, releasing Frenzy. The small silver mech tried to compose himself.

Starscream chuckled, wondering how could the Decepticon Lord be so silent. This was the second time he had sneaked upon them unnoticed in a party.

Megatron took seat on his throne, overlooking the main table, just between Starscream and Soundwave. Eleonor realized at that moment that she was at the main table. She was going to spend the night with the Decepticon higher ranks.

"Tomorrow we are going back to Cybertron! Let's have a party to celebrate it! Have fun until then, my comrades, that's an order!" The Decepticon Warlord said, almost cheerfully. Everymech in the rec. room acclaimed their Leader, even the small human, earning a smirk from Starscream.

Something jumped on the table with a soft noise. Eleonor turned towards the direction of the sound.

"Oh! Ravage! It's good to see you again!" She said. The Cybertronian panther began to run in her direction. "Wait, please..." She was starting to feel uneasy. "Ravage, please don't do it...!"

Too late. The metal faline pounced on Eleonor, pinning her down between nuzzles and purrs.

"Ravage I can't breathe!" She pleaded, starting to feel alarmed.

"Ravage: behave." Soundwave said quietly, and the Cybertronian cat released his prey. Eleonor gasped for air.

"Thank you, Soundwave." She managed to say, still unceremoniously sprawled on the table.

Starscream chuckled evilly. He could have stopped the panther, but he knew Ravage didn't mean any harm and that he truly liked his human.

"All hail Megatron!" An huge mech cheered, letting himself drop near them. Eleonor looked at him. She had not seen him until now. "A human!" He noticed as he glanced down and saw the young woman sitting on the table, with Ravage almost over her. "Are we torturing it to death?"

Starscream quickly reached a servo and brought his human closer, shielding her protectively between his arms. He glared daggers at the new mech, growling low.

"Brawl. Don't harm this human." Megatron ordered, taking a sip of his high-grade. The huge mech blinked in surprise. The Decepticon Leader had just prohibited him harming a human pest.

"I'll do as you command... although I must admit that I do not understand." The violent mech quirked an optic ridge.

"She is an ally." Thundercracker explained quickly.

"And how can a human possibly help us?" Brawl huffed in disbelief. Eleonor hid closer to Starscream's arm-plates. The beige seeker caressed her back with a claw. "Is she a spy?"

"Well... not exactly..." Frenzy said absently.

"Do you want to hear some Autobot gossip?" She asked suddenly, peeking from behind the seeker's arm.

Starscream smiled inwardly. His human knew exactly what to say and offer to everymech in the Nemesis to distract their murderous instincts. Sometimes he wondered if she could in fact, read minds. Shockwave liked efficiency. Ravage liked belly-rubs. Frenzy liked everything that could please his master. And yes, besides smashing Autobots, Brawl liked gossiping.

"What do you know?" Brawl asked, narrowing his optics suspiciously.

"Well... do you know what a kitten is?" She asked. "If you don't, look it up in the human Internet." Brawl was silent for some seconds, his optics dimmed as he surfed the Net.

"It's a small mammal, usually kept as pet by humans. What happens with them?" He asked, intrigued.

"Apparently, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe find them adorable, and decided to adopt a pair. But soon, turned to several dozens as the twins decided to adopt every single abandoned kitten they could find wandering the streets. The Autobot base was swarming with cute little cats..."

"And what happened!?" Brawl asked, genuinely intrigued by the story.

"Well... it turned out that kittens love warm places. And the nights in the desert can be very cold..."

"Don't tell me the kittens decided to sleep all over them..." Skywarp tried to guess, optics wide.

"Better. One cold morning, every single mech in the Autobot base had at least three or four kittens curled and purring _inside their engines_!"

"No way! That's nasty!" Brawl wailed.

"Yes! Dozens of miniature-Ravages scratching everything with their cute little clawed paws!" She said, wiggling her fingers in the air as if it was a horrible thing. "And the best part, they could not transform because they didn't want to crush them. Optimus had to spend _two days_ in alt-form until they decided to come out."

"Ack, that would be a mess to clean! What a nightmare!" Thundercracker shuddered, armor-plates ruffling briefly in disgust. The rest of the mechs agreed.

"And that reminds me of another one..." She continued.

"What now?" Frenzy asked curious.

"Do you know what candies are?" She asked. Most of the mechs shook their helms and Eleonor explained. "They are a type of food made basically of sugar, and they are _extremely sticky_. And human kids love them."

"I don't like where this is going..." Frenzy shuddered.

"Well, Ironhide is the guardian of one of the soldiers at the Autobot base. And this man has a small daughter, and she loves candies! And one day, she left a bag full of candies inside Ironhide! He didn't notice them and transformed!"

Shockwave burst in laughter. The mental image of the hated weapon specialist with his internal transforming gears all clogged with sugar was too much to bear.

"He deserved it!" The cyclops mech roared.

"And he had to have a warm bath to clean all that sugar, and apparently, Ironhide _hates_ water!"

Even Megatron could not suppress the brief smirk that crossed his face-plates for a second.

"How did you learn all these things?" Brawl asked, his previous murderous thoughts forgotten.

"I had to spend some time at the Autobot base. And Mikaela and Sam are very... talkative." She explained.

"That brats." Megatron grunted, remembering them.

"Oh, that reminds me of something!" Starscream said suddenly, approaching the nearest screen in the rec. room, and switching it on. A few seconds later, a video started to play. Megatron stared at the screen and raised an optic ridge. Starscream's point of view, he saw Bumblebee, Mikaela and Sam being stalked by his Second in Command while they played a video-game. After a small growl, the three of them jumped high, her faces showing raw fear as if they had just seen the very Un-maker.

Everymech burst in laughter. Frenzy was rolling on the table, Skywarp literally fell to the floor, laughing his aft off. Soundwave was eerie silent, his vocalizer probably fried. Even Megatron was roaring in laughter. Megatron!

"Whose idea was this?" The Decepticon Warlord asked, regaining his composure.

"My pet's." Starscream replied with a shrug, pointing to Eleonor, still on the table.

"Hum... but without Starscream's _ferocious roar_ it would have been impossible to accomplish..." She said sheepishly, feeling suddenly every optic on her.

"Starscream and Eleonor: Efficient at teamwork." Soundwave stated after resetting his vocalizer.

"Do you see now, my loyal Brawl, why I spared this human?" Megatron asked to the huge mech. Brawl nodded in response.

"I knew you were a potential prankster!" Frenzy cheered, jumping over Eleonor and hugging her this time. He especially hated Mikaela for chopping his head off.

"And why is it that you hate those kids so much?" She asked, intrigued.

"They helped Optimus to kill Megatron three years ago. Prime had damaged Megatron's chest, baring his spark, and had him pinned down. Then, Sam shoved the original Allspark inside him, destroying both in the process." Starscream explained.

"Was it really necessary to remember that?" Megatron groaned at the memory.

Eleonor gasped.

"Sam did WHAT? That brat was the cause of the destruction of the original Allspark and the murder of Lord Megatron?" She yelled, outraged, surprising the presents with her sudden display of fury. "I am going to slap him unconscious if I ever see him again!"

"I like her." Brawl concluded, leaning close to the young woman.

"Get your own human." The seeker hissed, putting an arm protectively around Eleonor. She smiled at the seeker's small display of care.

"And what other things can she do, besides from gossiping?" Brawl asked.

"The energon you are drinking, you must thank her for that. She is Starscream's lab assistant. They designed together the energon generator and worked on the new Allspark." Shockwave explained. Brawl blinked his optics in surprise staring at the human.

"She's mine!" Starscream hissed again.

* * *

><p>They continued drinking and talking for a while. Even Eleonor was drinking, there was still an unopened bottle of cider in her quarters. The mechs talked mainly about Cybertron, they were looking forward to come back to their planet. The young woman used the opportunity to learn some more things about their race.<p>

"Humm... I have a question." She said suddenly, her scientific side taking control of her.

"What troubles my little lab assistant?" Starscream asked.

"You said your race created new mechs with the power of the Allspark."

"That's correct." The beige seeker confirmed.

"Thus, unlike we humans, there are not male or female Cybertronians."

"That's right again."

"Well, there was a _female_ Cybertronian in the Autobot base..." She said, with a mysterious aura.

"Pfft..." The seeker snorted. "The Autobots are a bunch of softies." He mocked. Eleonor stared at him, confused. "What made you think she was a female?" Starscream asked.

"Well... they were actually three sisters. They were small and sleek, and their voices were feminine..."

"Exactly. We are all the same, I assure you. Maybe they desired to appear less menacing to you, humans. We learned a lot through observation, and it seems that human females are less intimidating. Feminine features could be helpful to socialize with your kind."

"Ohh... I understand. So, if you want to look like a girl, you just tune your vocalizer to a female voice, choose pink as your main color, a sleek frame, and that's all?" She summarized.

"Yes. That's basically how it works." Starscream concluded, taking a sip of his high-grade.

"Cool. Your race can change many things in your bodies." She said in wonder. "And do you have 'femmes' among the Decepticon ranks?"

"No... Femmes seems like 'weak'..." He teased.

"Hmpf." She couldn't help but feel a little indignant. Just what she needed. A bunch of sexist aliens.

"But it is true, human femmes are usually weaker." Frenzy teased her, taking part in the conversation.

"Well... it is true that we are _physically_ weaker. But we are _immunologically_ stronger (that meaning that we are more resistant to diseases). And we have other powers... like the power of _persuasion_!"

"What's that?" Frenzy asked.

"Oh, I know that answer." Shockwave chuckled with a knowing look in his single optic as he took a sip of his drink. "How poor Optimus fell for that."

"Did I miss something?" The beige seeker asked curious.

"Yes. Your human played the victim-role to perfection when we called Optimus to offer him the exchange. She was all crying and whimpering in Megatron's servo. Ratchet was about to have a spark-failure with her helpless cries." The cyclops mech explained. "They fell right into the trap."

"Twisted!" Skywarp exclaimed.

"I have the best pet." Starscream said proudly. Eleonor laughed softly. When would they stop calling her 'pet'?

"Anyway, back to the Autobot femmes issue... they were all called Arcee, and they were like... triplets?" How is that even possible?" She wondered.

"Hm. I remember Arcee. It's difficult to explain to you." Starscream hummed. "There are many ways in which a Cybertronian can 'bond' or 'link' to another. Some links are made voluntarily, and other ones are decided since 'birth'. The three Arcee's were sparked together. They share a common quantum link with each other. They are like a single Cybertronian with her conscience split in three different bodies. What one of them sees and feels, the other ones know instantly. They are very good and deadly close combat fighters when they are together because of that. Their understanding is perfect."

"I see."

"But at a cost." He warned.

"What cost?"

"If one of them is knocked out of combat, the others will follow. And if one of them is off-lined, the other two will suffer the unthinkable." He made a pause. "And if two of them are off-lined, the remaining one would probably deactivate herself due to the grief. It would be like losing a part of your spark."

"That's terrible." Eleonor said with concern. "Is it similar to Soundwave and his symbionts?"

"No, that kind of bond is decided later, not since birth. They share feelings and information only if they want to, lowering their firewalls. And the lost of one of them, though remarkably painful, would not deactivate them." The beige seeker explained.

"And you and your trine-mates?"

"That's another kind of bond between the seeker type of Cybertronians. We can share some strong feelings and combat strategies. Our flight can be also synchronized."

"Amazing. There are many ways in which a Cybertronian can share things with another one." She said.

"Yes. And although we do not mate like you, we have many words that translate as 'friend', each one depending on the grade of understanding, bonding or knowing of each other that the mechs have. Maybe they could translate like known, friend, well-known-friend, best-friend, linked-friend, work-friend, familiar... even one close to a mate."

"Fascinating." She said in wonder. "In which level am I?"

"You?" He chuckled. "_Pet_."

"Aww..." She wailed. "You hurt my feelings." She teased with feigned indignation.

* * *

><p>An hour later, a too-happy-brawl was telling stories about the skirmishes with the Autobots that ended with them exploding in the air. He sure liked to kick Autobot's afts.<p>

"Hey, Eleonor." Frenzy said suddenly.

"What's up?" She was starting to feel a little dizzy.

"Wanna dance?" He asked with a smirk, and pointed to the nearest huge terminal. On the floor below it was a game console and two arrowed-carpets for the famous dancing game.

"Oh my gosh. You should have asked before the drinking game." She regretted.

"Then it would not have been so funny." He smirked. "Come on!"

Skywarp leveled them to the floor and Frenzy switched on the game console. The music started to play through and incredibly-potent audio system, flooding the rec. room with its rhythms. The dancing battle begun. Eleonor smiled with the Cybertronian's choice of music. Of course, they preferred electronic music, or at least the ones with strong beats.

"It's not fair!" Eleonor wailed after five or six songs. "You only press the arrows! And you have to _dance_!" Frenzy obtained a 95% accuracy ratio, while she obtained only 72%.

"Hah, I won!" The tiny silver mech exclaimed cheerfully.

"But I have to admit that Eleonor's movements are way more elegant than yours." Thundercracker intervened.

"Thundercracker's assumption: correct." Soundwave said suddenly, who had been staring intently at the dance battle.

"Aww... Not you too, Soundwave..." Frenzy groaned, feeling betrayed.

"May I join the fight?" A new mech asked suddenly with a silky deep voice. Eleonor looked up at him. He was approximately the same height than bumblebee. Black and white, with a very shiny finish.

"Barricade!" Frenzy exclaimed, happy to see his old mission partner.

Starscream quickly picked up Eleonor from the floor.

"No need to worry, Commander." The sleek black and white mech made a dismissive gesture with a servo in the air. "After watching that video that Frenzy sent me, I could kiss that human of yours." He glanced back smirking, and winked an optic to Eleonor.

"Woah." She blinked in disbelief.

"Behold! My own dancing-carpet!" Barricade said theatrically, setting on the floor a cybertronian-sized version of the dancing pad, made of sturdier materials. "Done by myself!"

Now, Frenzy and Barricade were dancing. And not only Barricade's score reached 100%, but also his movements were actually very cool and precise.

"Barricade's movements: 32% more elegant than Eleonor's." Soundwave stated.

"I agree." She said in defeat, still panting from the dancing session. "I yield."

Starscream chuckled at her defeated pet.

"Aww, come on and cheer up." Skywarp said. "I'm sure you can win us in something..."

"Being squishable?" Frenzy suggested with a smirk.

"Eleonor's physical appearance according to iberian beauty standards algorithms: 7.6 out of 10." Stated Soundwave. Everymech at the table turned to look at him silently.

"Did Soundwave just say that I'm pretty?" She asked in disbelief, blushing deep red.

* * *

><p>At around four o'clock in the morning, the party was starting to decay, with the first friendly-combats of the night making a mess in the hall.<p>

"Starscream, Sir..." She whispered, running a hand down the seeker's arm. He glanced down at her. She gave him a sad smile. He instantly understood the unspoken message and could not stop a brief sorrowful expression from crossing his face-plates.

"I'm taking Eleonor back." He announced. "Say goodbye to her." Eleonor pouted. Starscream only called her by her name when he was being extremely serious.

"Aww... but she is so funny... can't we take her to Cybertron?" Brawl asked hopeful.

"No. She would die within minutes in our atmosphere." The beige seeker explained.

"And where are you going to stay now?" Frenzy asked, pouting a little.

"Actually, I was thinking about asking Optimus..." She started to say, but was cut mid-sentence.

"NO WAY!" Skywarp roared. "Those glitches are not going to put a servo on you again!" Eleonor flinched at the sudden display of rage.

"But Skywarp... The Autobots never had the intention to hurt me. It was that idiot human, Galloway, who shot me. And he is dead now. The rest of the humans and Autobots were nice enough. Especially after your last fight." She said softly.

"That's actually a good idea." Megatron said suddenly, leaning closer to Eleonor. She gulped and looked back at him, his ruby optics piercing through her. "And tell Optimus that while he continues to protect you, he and his Autobots would be safe from my wrath."

"Yes, Lord megatron." She nodded. That was actually a very good idea to grant her protection and assure a peace treaty at the same time.

"It's decided then." Starscream nodded.

"Farewell, human. You have been a... valuable resource to the Decepticon cause." And that was the kindest compliment that Megatron could pronounce to a human.

"Thank you, Lord Megatron. It has been a honor to serve you." She said with a curtsy. "Goodbye, and good luck in Cybertron."

"Goodbye, little one." Brawl said, waving a huge servo.

"Aww, let me hug you again!" Frenzy wailed.

"You turned out to like cuddles?" She asked in disbelief.

"Only because you are soft and smell good." He admitted.

"RAWL!" Ravage growled, pouncing again on Eleonor, this time adding Frenzy to his nuzzles.

"Ravage I will miss you too, but you are going to knock me unconscious!" She exclaimed, with the rest of the mechs chuckling in amusement.


	23. Farewell

**[A/N]: **Far be it from me to sound corny, but I strongly recomend you to hear this song while you read this chapter: 'Adam young - Alligator Sky'.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 23: Farewell<span>

Starscream and Eleonor were back at the upper deck. The only sound that could be heard were the small waves gently dying against the Nemesis' hull. The night sky was crystal clear, and the stars were shining high above them.

The beige seeker glanced down at his assistant one more time. She was very quiet. He didn't had to ask to know what troubled her. He transformed and waited.

Eleonor looked back at the jet and approached slowly, a lump forming in her throat. She stopped beside the step-ladder, but before climbing she decided to run a hand across the plane's flank, caressing its warm metal surface.

"Thank you for everything, Starscream."

Starscream tried very hard to suppress his engines from purring in delight at the touch. There was nothing on cybertron that soft.

"Don't make things more difficult than they already are, my little assistant." He said, his tone unusually soft.

"No, Sir." She climbed up the ladder, and took seat inside the cabin.

Starscream took off slowly, and gained altitude, heading for the night sky. Eleonor looked absently through the window, as the seat-belt glided and fastened tightly around her. She realized they were doing a sharp ascension.

"Where are we going?" She asked hesitantly.

"Well, we still have some time until the Nemesis' departure, and I thought we could take advantage of it." He replied. She could not see his face-plates, but she was sure he would be smirking.

"What do you plan?"

"I'll give you a gift." He said, with a mysterious aura.

They continued their ascent across the starry night. The seeker's thrusters roared with renewed strenght, boosting them through the layers of the atmosphere. The stars were clearer and closer every second that passed. The temperature began to descend in contrast.

"Sir..." She started to worry, looking at the altimeter in the dash.

"Don't worry. I have been studying human tolerance to open space, and I know it is non-existent. The cabin is pressurized and you'll have enough air for two hours. The temperature will not descend more than this."

"I trust you." She said, with a sincere smile, her worries vanishing.

"I know." He felt warm in his spark with the confidence deposited on him. It could be so easy to kill a human this way, but she clearly trusted him with blind faith. He could feel her heart beat through his internal sensors, and she was completely at ease and calm. She trusted him. Honestly. The seeker felt a strong impulse of protection flooding him. He would not let anyone or anything to hurt his human.

After a while, his engines stopped, and Starscream let himself float in orbit. He also loosened the seat-belt slightly.

"Starscream..." She whispered, her breath against the glass. The stars were closer than ever. Her eyes widened. "This is... I have no words..." She gasped. "I have seen many pictures from the earth telescopes... but nothing can compare to see them directly... it's like a... soup made of stardust, with more stars floating inside...I can see _everything_, and it's so beautiful!"

"Look down now." He suggested, rolling slowly until his cabin was upside down.

Eleonor gasped again. The Earth was beautiful looked from open space, like a huge dark orb with blue borders. The Sun was directly behind the Earth right now, projecting a golden aura around the planet. They were looking at the Earth from the current night side.

"Thank you, Starscream... this is the best gift ever! Thank you!" She screamed, her composure lost. Very few humans had seen the firmament and the Earth like this. And none of them had seen them from inside a powerful Cybertronian being. A feeling of honor and privilege invaded her, followed by immense joy. "Thank you!" She screamed again.

"Scream for me, my little assistant." He chuckled, his voice almost purring.

Eleonor laughed with sincere happiness and screamed in joy something more. And when she calmed down, they just remained in a comfortable silence, floating in orbit, enjoying the view and each other's company.

"I still like Cybertron better. It's not so... full of mud and water in uncomfortable states." Starscream said after a while.

"I could always give you a bath." She offered.

"Don't tempt me." He laughed.

Starscream checked his internal chronometer and tightened again the seat-belt around his human.

"Time to go, little one." He announced. Eleonor nodded sharply.

The jet's thrusters came to life again, and they nose-dived into the atmosphere. She enjoyed the view of the Earth coming closer, as they soared above and into the clouds. Starscream even did some loops, never exceeding the g-forces a roller-coaster would put down to its passengers, earning some more squeals of joy from his human.

* * *

><p>::Optimus:: The seeker called through the comm. link.<p>

::Starscream. Can I do something for you?:: The Autobot Leader saluted back.

::Yes... but... it's difficult to ask...:: Starscream hesitated, gathering all his will force to ask.

::Yes, she can stay:: The Autobot Leader said suddenly, with a knowing tone.

::Wha-... who... how did you...?:: Starscream stuttered, caught off-guard.

::Intuition:: Optimus said, his smirk almost palpable through the comm. link.

::Whatever... We'll be there in an hour. Don't shoot. And keep your dogs on a tight leash:: He huffed.

::Understood:: The Autobot Leader smiled, as the seeker cut the connection.

* * *

><p>An hour later, the beige jet was circling slowly the Autobot base, to make them aware of their presence. The spotlights signaled a landing platform. The seeker got the hint, and landed on it, powering down his engines as he touched the ground.<p>

Optimus, Ironhide, Ratchet and Jazz were at a respectful distance. Alert, but without showing any hostility.

The cockpit opened and Eleonor looked at her surroundings, waving to the Autobots so that they were at ease. Then, she turned to glance again at the dashboard.

"Well... I guess this is goodbye..." She whispered, curling her hands around the seat-belt. She felt again a lump in her throat.

"Yes..." Starscream, though reluctantly, unfastened the seat-belt and produced the step-ladder down his flank.

Eleonor climbed down slowly and recoiled a couple of steps. The seeker transformed and stood proudly, looking warily at the Autobots. He crouched and offered a servo. She climbed on it without a doubt, smiling sadly as the big mech straightened and put her at optic level.

"Do... you think...you could..." The words were stuck in her throat, her eyes gleaming with contained tears. "... come and visit some time?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Starscream felt his spark shrink faintly inside his chest.

"I don't know for sure..." He said softly. The look in her eyes was impossible to bear. "But I'll try."

"Don't be too late." She said with a brief smile, holding her tears.

He ran a claw down her soft hair with infinite care. The Autobots will probably laugh at him later, but he didn't give a flying frag at that moment. And no matter how he tried to deny it to himself, he was going to miss her.

"Oh, I almost forgot." He extracted something from a compartment in one side of his chest. "This is for you. It has your complete first project. Megatron says that you can share it with the Autobots and whoever you may consider worthy. And that you can tell them of our plans and everything they ask." He gave her the laptop she had been using while she was working in the lab.

"Yes, Sir." She replied, taking the small computer.

"Farewell, Eleonor. My little lab assistant." He said, proudly of her.

"Goodbye, Starscream, Sir. I wish you the best of lucks." She answered, trying very hard not to cry, her eyes fixed in his ruby optics.

He leveled her to the ground and she stepped off his servo.

"Optimus." He called, turning to face his former enemies. The Autobot Leader approached slowly and stopped at a respectful distance. "If you ever let any harm come to this human, not even Megatron could save you from my wrath." He growled, his optics narrowed to a thin line. "You can also be sure that we will not try to attack you while she is here."

"You have my word, Starscream. I will protect Miss Eleonor like I protect the rest of my allies." The Autobot Leader assured.

"Take good care of her, she knows how to be useful." He added, locking his stern gaze into Optimus' azure optics.

Starscream recoiled slowly and dedicated one last glance to Eleonor, his glare softening. She was still holding her tears back, with that familiar flame of burning determination in her eyes. Then, he jumped into the air and transformed, engines roaring as he took off for the night sky.

She could not hold them anymore. She cried all the tears she had been fighting the whole night as she felt her heart sink when the seeker disappeared into the darkness. And at that moment, when all the gathered mechs glanced up to the sky, they could see an enormous dark shadow concealing the stars.

"That is..." Ironhide gasped.

"...The _Nemesis_." Optimus finished, his optics wide. The Decepticon's greatest warship had been on Earth since they didn't know when. They had enough firepower to obliterate their base and any human city. But Megatron had not taken advantage of it. "Farewell, brother..." He added in a whisper.

Then, a whistling sound could be heard, followed by a loud bang.

"They are attacking us! Those treacherous glitches!" The weapon specialist howled as his weapon capacitors whined with the sudden overload.

"Ironhide, stop." The Autobot Leader commanded, pointing to the sky with a servo. The rocket had safely exploded far above them, leaving a trail of purple glittering sparks lingering in the air. "They are _fireworks_..."

Eleonor's tears started to fade into laugh, and she could not stop. Tears and laughter coming together in a bittersweet mix of emotions. The rockets were actually coming out of the missile launchers of the warship.

"So, that's why Skywarp was so busy the whole afternoon, running up and down the ship!" She managed to say. "Oh, Lord Megatron is going to use him for target practice!"

The sky was glowing, the fireworks exploding in every direction and flooding the night sky with colors and crackling sounds. Eventually, the rest of the Autobots and humans came out the base, with fear at first, but it drifted into laughter as they looked to the sky and saw the departure gift of the Decepticons.

"I swear to Primus, I can't understand a single thing right now." Ironhide huffed, his cannons still loaded and ready.

"Eleonor!" Mikaela called cheerily. Bumblebee was approaching with his two human companions on each shoulder, staring in awe at the colorful sky.

"Hi, kids. Enjoy the view. I think Skywarp is going to be in the brig for a long time for that." She said with a small smile, sweeping away the tears with the back of her hand.

"Best. Prank. Ever!" Sunstreaker exclaimed, approaching the group and looking up.

Eleonor kept her gaze locked on the Nemesis as they disappeared gradually into the starry night. Once they were at a safe distance, the warship was engulfed by a brilliant light, and faded out of the Earth's atmosphere through the space bridge, bound for Cybertron.

Eleonor felt her smartphone vibrate in her purse.

"What is this?" She extracted the phone. There was a message. It had arrived some minutes ago, but she had not noticed it until now. It had no sender, and its contents were two words and a picture. The words were 'Good luck', and the picture was... a grey Angora bunny.


	24. Epilogue

Chapter 24: Epilogue

Two years had passed since the Decepticons left Earth.

Eleonor told Optimus everything from her capture to Megatron's plans to save Cybertron. And it seemed that the Decepticons had succeeded. They had revived their home planet. The Autobot rebels that were still on Cybertron were asked to choose: to join the Decepticons or to be bridged back to Earth with Optimus and the rest of his team. Almost everyone of them had chosen to continue being Autobots and be bridged back to Earth. The Decepticons had been rough, but had not intended to make unnecessary casualties.

So now, the Decepticons ruled in Cybertron, and the Autobots were living on Earth as planetary refugees in relative peace. It was not the perfect outcome of the war, but neither was the worst. And Optimus was actually happy that his brother had regained his sanity.

Eleonor, still resentful for the big fossil fuels companies' issue, had came out with the brightest and more twisted of her ideas. She had wanted to cause the biggest damage. And she did.

She published her schematics and blueprints for the electric power generator (without the energon part) on the Internet. Now, anyone with the necessary means or resources could built his own renewable power-source. And the Autobots had hired her to help them build them. In few weeks the Autobot base was self sufficient in energy matters. Optimus was very glad for that, because the U.S. government was taking advantage of their energy-dependency to blackmail them frequently.

The young woman usually spent her morning in the Autobot's laboratory. Checking on the algae, thinking in new projects or helping Ratchet with something. So, life was usually peaceful at the base. That was, until the weekend arrived, with Sam and Mikaela wreaking havoc amongst them.

"Those two will never grow up." Eleonor thought, shaking her head. She was alone in the dining hall in her favourite spot; comfortably sitting at a table that was next to a window. It was raining outside, the water dripping down the glass in tiny rivulets. She was reviewing her latest work. Once finished, she thought of shutting down the laptop, but stopped. With a sad smile crossing her features, she clicked on the image folder.

Starscream had given her that laptop. He had said that it contained the schematics of her first project. It was true. But that was not the only thing it contained.

The image folder was full of pictures. All the pictures that Soundwave had erased from her smartphone were there, along with many new ones. The new pictures were unmistakably taken from Cybertronian point of view. Who had taken them, she could only guess.

Skywarp with Starscream and Thundercracker pulled into an awkward hug.

Eleonor with a scared expression (probably through Skywarp's optics).

Shockwave in a cool pose holding his enormous arm-gun menacingly.

Eleonor giving Ravage a belly-rub (probably taken through Soundwave's optics that time in the main bridge).

Frenzy and Barricade playing with the dancing video-game.

Eleonor curled sleeping in Starscream's servos.

Soundwave working at his usual terminal in the bridge, with Ravage sleeping on the desk.

Eleonor looking to the sea from the Nemesis' deck.

And so on. Hundreds of pictures of her time with the Decepticons.

"I still find really hard to believe some of them." Mikaela said suddenly, appearing from nowhere and startling Eleonor out of her thoughts.

"Oh, Mikaela. I am sorry, I didn't hear you coming."

"Don't worry, I was been sneaky to surprise you." She smiled evilly.

"Where are Sam and Bumblebee?" Eleonor asked. It was strange not seen them together.

"Sam is giving Bumblebee a bath. It is raining hard, and he got all covered in mud on our way here. He hates been dirty." The girl explained.

"Oh, I see." She chuckled.

Mikaela took another quick glance at the laptop screen and smiled.

"You had quite a crush on him, uh?" Mikaela said with complicity, taking a seat next to her.

"Wh-what do you mean?" She asked, half-offended.

"You liked him." Mikaela insisted, pointing to the current picture in the laptop's screen. On it, Eleonor was wearing her lab coat, and was proudly standing on Starscream servo. He was smirking smugly, and she was smiling shyly.

"Don't be ridiculous, girl." She scolded her. "We are not even the same species."

"As if that mattered." Mikaela replied with a shrug. "Love knows no bounds!"

"Mikaela, stop. You read too much romantic novels." Eleonor said, frowning, starting to lose her patience.

"Ah, but I am good at guessing things!" She beamed teasingly.

"You are still a silly teenager." Eleonor huffed.

"And you an embittered woman!" Mikaela snapped back, offended by the insult.

Eleonor tried to speak, but no word came out. She felt a pang in her heart.

"Do you know how _old_ is Bumblebee?" Eleonor finally spoke in a hiss, biting back her tears.

Now it was Mikaela's turn to be speechless, a lump in her throat.

"How many years do you plan to _live_?" Eleonor insisted, hurting herself and Mikaela with her own words.

They were in silence for some minutes. Both gazes locked, holding back the tears.

"I am sorry, Eleonor..." Mikaela finally said with regret.

"Me too..." Eleonor admitted.

They remained in silence for a while more, Eleonor absently navigating through the pictures.

"He is a dear friend. Nothing more." Eleonor said, her voice barely above a whisper. "And I don't even expect him to come back here in time to pay me a visit."

"_He will_." Mikaela gave her a weak smile, as she stood up and left.

Eleonor turned to glance out the window. It was still raining heavy. She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and shut down her laptop.

* * *

><p><strong>[AN]1:** Angsty ending, I am sorry. I hope the lastest chapters didn't sound too corny. This was my first fanfiction written in English. Sorry about the many grammar errors that may exist. Thank you for reading, honestly :)

**[A/N]2: **There is an ongoing sequel of this fic called 'New Horizons'. If you enjoyed this one, it would make me very happy if you continued reading the sequel.


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